What the Soul Wants
by essenceofsparkle
Summary: Running Buck stands in front of a great challenge, but he has no idea what the consequences will be.
1. Chapter 1

The Sweat-lodge filled with steam an smoke, making the air heavy. Two men sat on opposite sides of the warm stones. Father and son. Sweat dripped like streams down their faces and long dark hair.

The father, Strong Buffalo studied his son, Running Buck. Strong Buffalo had two sons, Red Bear and Running Buck. There were so many differences between the two young men. Red Bear, the older of the two was the one who acted purely on his emotions and liked to be in the middle of things right when they happened. Running Buck, on the other hand, had always been the sort to stay in the background and only get involved when he felt like he had something say or when he knew it was expected of him.

In that way Strong Buffalo felt sorry for his youngest son. He wanted Running Buck to act more confident and believe himself enough to speak his mind and stand up for himself. A lot in life, one had to take chances, and taking chances needed courage. Pouring more water on the hot coals, Strong Buffalo never took his eyes off of his son. "Do you know why I have asked you here today?" he asked his son, their eyes meeting through the screen of smoke.

"Yes, father, I know," said Running Buck, his eyes firm and strong. He tried his hardest not to show the nervousness he felt inside."I have not yet found a wife, even though I am of the age where it's time for me to get married." He had been of the age to get married for twelve moons now, but he still hadn't found a wife. He had been meeting with Little Sparrow for that year, but he didn't feel for her the way he thought a husband should feel for his wife. This, of course, was much to Red Bears amusement and teasing. His older brother had taken great joy in giving him what he called 'lessons' in how to woe a woman. This of course, was much to Running Buck's great embarrassment.

It wasn't the act itself of finding a wife Running Buck found difficult. It was more the fact that he didn't know how he was supposed to feel about her. It wasn't that he didn't want a wife. He was a young man and had urges just like everybody else. Some of those urges had been directed towards Little Sparrow. The problem was that he didn't know how to separate those urges from what he thought marriage was supposed to be like.

Running Buck had to admit to himself he didn't know much about marriage. He had observed the relationship between his parents and that of his brother and his wife. When he would marry, Running Buck wanted the exact same thing as they had. Two souls to merge as one. Running Buck thought marriage was about so much more than all the physical things Red Bear had explained to him. They were important as well, they not the only thing.

Strong Buffalo studied his son and wondered about the confused look on the young man's face. But then he remembered his own youth. He too had been confused about the act of choosing a wife. He had to admit though, that it hadn't taken him twelve months.

"You are right," he said after having thought about his son's words. "You are of that age and you should have chosen a wife sooner." The older man arched a brow. "Do you not like any of the young women in the village? You have grown close to Little Sparrow. Do you not see her as a future wife?" he asked, making sure every world was properly pronounced.

"Yes, no, maybe, I don't know..." Running Buck hated to admit his insecurities to his father and it took much courage to meet the man's eyes as he spoke. "You know that I have been seeing Little Sparrow for a while and I care a great deal about her. It's just that it doesn't feel right. It doesn't feel the way it should."

"The two of you look good together," Strong Buffalo said, willing himself not to react by raising his voice. For a long time now he had been concerned about Running Buck and his well being. He wanted to understand what was troubling the young man, but at the same time he knew he had to be patient and understanding. Being straight forward and demanding an answer would have worked on Red Bear, but not for Running Buck. His youngest son had the spirit of one who liked to thing through all his options before making a decision about what to do next. "Do you not see a future with Little Sparrow as your wife." He smiled.

"Maybe, I like her, I think." Running Buck took a deep breath as he gauged his words. He didn't want to offend his father or to answer his questions in a way not very well thought through. "It's just that I don't see myself having with Little Sparrow the same thing that you and mother have, or what Red Bear and his wife have. Little Sparrow has always been a good friend. Lately, I've been having these dreams and I'm not sure if I understand them. I think they're related to what we're talking about now."

"What happened in these dreams?" Strong Buffalo asked as he poured a cup of water on the bed of warm stones between them. He prided himself with the patience he was showing his son.

Talking a deep breath, Running Buck closed his eyes and envisioned the dream in his mind's eye. "In the dream, I have had the exact same dream many nights now, and it seems so real that I'm starting to think that it's a vision. This is the first time that I've really talked about it so I'm not sure what words to use. In the vision I am somewhere else and not here in the village. I've never been there before. Things are different in the dream than what they are here, though I'm not sure if I can explain it with words. It doesn't look like here, but it feels like home. What I'm confused about is that this village is the only home I've ever had."

Running Buck looked up at his father with a pleading look in his eyes. He wanted – needed – to learn about what this vision meant. Strong Buffalo was the first person he had talked to about his dreams and deep in his heart he hoped that his father would be able to help him figure it out. The two of them had always had very different outlooks on life, and Running Buck was sure that the two outlooks would merge together. Together they would find out what the dream meant. Through the smoke he could see his father was looking intently at him, nodding slightly as if he understood what his dreams meant. Running Buck bit his lip and took a deep breath.

"You are young," Strong Buffalo said after there had been a long pause between father and son. "And being young is a confusing time in a person's life. Running Buck, right now I think that you may be trapped between being a young boy and being a man. There are great qualities in both being a young boy and in being a man. A young boy is carefree and doesn't think too much about what's going to happening tomorrow. With being a man come great responsibility. With growing up one must bring the two together as one. I think that the dream you've been having is about how you envision yourself as a man, but that you may not be sure of how to get there."

"I think that makes sense," Running Buck said, thinking about how what his father had just said applied to how he had been feeling lately. "I don't yet feel like a man and that could also be why I don't feel ready to choose a wife. I like Little Sparrow, and she is a good woman, but I'm not sure if I can see her as my wife – at least not yet. Maybe one time in the future."

Strong Buffalo nodded wisely. "Love is a mysterious spirit. She is fleeting, but when you have been struck by her, nothing is more powerful."

"I like Little Sparrow," Running Buck said, considering his father's words, "but I'm not sure if I love her. I like spending time with her and being in her company, but it doesn't feel powerful. We grew up together and she feels more like a friend than she does a future wife."

"You might want to give Little Sparrow a chance," said Strong Buffalo. "I think that I wasn't being clear about love before. Love isn't always something that washes over one the same way the wind will blow over a field. Some times love needs time to grow and to mature. Running Buck, do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"I think so," Running Buck said and carefully nodded. "I should try to see Little Sparrow as something more than just a childhood friend. Right now, I love her, but as a friend, not like a lover and not like a wife."

xXx

After the conversation with his father, Running Buck decided he would walk to the river which ran close to where the village was. He needed some time to himself as he wanted to clean up and to think about what his father had said. Could it be that he had a future with Little Sparrow? Running Buck wasn't sure. Lowering himself into the water, he considered his father's words that love sometimes needed time to grow. Taking a few swim strokes, Running Buck felt the knots in his muscle loosen and he was able to relax more.

Leaning back and allowing his body to float on the water, Running Buck also came to the conclusion that he wasn't the only person to consider in this matter. His father had made it sound easy when he said it was time for him to choose a wife. If he wanted to instigate a relationship with Little Sparrow, would she feel the same about him? "Some times love needs time to grow and mature." Running Buck heard his father's words from inside his head. No matter what his father said, love couldn't be forced.

"Are you alright?" A voice broke through his thoughts. He opened his eyes and looked at Little Sparrow standing on the riverbank. A part of him wanted to swallow hard and disappear down to the bottom of the river. Stay there and never come back "You didn't come to the evening meal." She sat down next to the river and gracefully tested the water with her fingers. "It's cold."

"Yeah, I think I needed to cool down," said Running Buck as he climbed out of the water and dried off. It was a stupid thing to say, but he was nervous and had no idea what he was going to do or say. Actualy standing in front of Little Sparrow made him not so sure about what he's going to do. "I had an interesting conversation with my father earlier today," he said. He knew that he needed to get what he needed to say out of the way otherwise he might just go crazy.

"Yes," said Little Sparrow and a small smile came to his lips. "I came looking for you and your mother said that you were with Strong Buffalo.

"He wondered…" Running Buck felt his throat tighten, and he was clearly uncomfortable.

"Are you alright?" asked Little Sparrow as she rubbed his back to put him at ease.

"Yes," said Buck, wanting to take a step back to create some distance between the two, yet at the same time he didn't' want to offend Little Sparrow. The two had been friends since childhood and it was his internal conflict that was causing problems, she hadn't done anything. "Father wondered why I hadn't – chosen a wife yet."

Little Sparrow nodded and motioned for Running Buck to sit down next to her. As they did, she took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze, offering him silent support. He gave her a smile in thanks. "Do you want to take a wife?"

"I don't know…" Running Buck didn't dare look at Little Sparrow as he could feel the blush rising to his cheeks and he feared that if he looked at her, his throat would tighten again. "It is what's expected of me."

"Do you…" Little Sparrow said, but then stopped herself. She and Running Buck had been friends since they had been children and she knew that he didn't like to be forced to making a decision or made to pick a side.

"I think so." Running Buck spoke in a soft voice and looked down at their interlocked hands.

"Would you like to try?" Biting his lower lip, Running Buck looked up at her.

"I think so," said Little Sparrow and smiled up at him. The moment was interrupted as Running Buck's stomach growled. "You missed the evening meal. We should go back to the village." Running Buck smiled and rose from the ground. Turning around he helped Little Sparrow to stand as well.

As the two of them walked hand in hand back to the village, Strong Buffalo sat outside one teepee and smiled approvingly at the two youngsters.


	2. Chapter 2

His eyes opened and Running Buck felt the sweat on his face and on the back of his neck. With a shaky breath, he wiped the dampness away from his face and attempted to calm himself. He had been seeing Little Sparrow for about a month now and after the first couple of days he hadn't had the dream. Now it was back and seemed more real than ever before. Pulling the buffalo hide up to cover his head, Running Buck tried to will the desire for the return of the dream away.

Running Buck knew that it would still be a while for the sun to appear in the sky so he had some time to think about why the dream had returned when things were going so well with him and Little Sparrow. They hadn't yet made the announcement that they were going to get married. Right now they were enjoying learning about each other in a new way. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Running Buck took a deep breath and thought about the time he had spent together with Little Sparrow.

Over the last month, he really enjoyed the time that they've spent together; the walks they went on by the river and the kisses they had shared. It was nice and he really liked her, but there was also something that just didn't feel right. Closing his eyes, he thought about the conversation he had had with his father in the sweat lodge. How he was supposed to let love have a chance to grow and to mature? Perhaps it was true that he only loved Little Sparrow as a friend and not as anything else? How could he

be sure?

He wasn't being fair to Little Sparrow if he was only being with her for the sake of doing what he knew was expected of him by his father and to some extent, the rest of the village. If he was going to do the right thing, he should break it off with her and go back to being just friends. Was that even possible? Running Buck covered himself completely under the hide. He didn't want morning to come. That was when he had to man up and to break it off with Little Sparrow.

xXx

Racing across the field, Running Buck felt a great sense of relief flood through him. After having woken up from the dream he had somehow been able to go back to sleep. The next time he opened his eyes it was to find that both his parents were looking at him with worried looks on their faces. He tried to pretend that nothing was wrong, and said that he was going to go down to the river to clean up before it was time to break fast. It was down by the river that his brother had come and invited him to race to the clearing in the woods; for old times sake.

Reaching the clearing only a few moments after his brother, Running Buck rested his hands on his knees as he regained his breath.

"You need to train," Red Bear told his brother with a big grin plastered on his face. "There is no other way to become better than me." Though the words in themselves would appear to be hurtful, Running Buck just grinned along with his brother.

"You have longer legs than me, and I was ahead of you for a long time at the beginning of the race." He sat down on the log of a fallen tree and stretched his legs.

The two brothers didn't say anything for a few moments after that. Out of the corner of his eye, Red Bear studied his younger brother. The day he had come back to the village hand in hand with Little Sparrow he thought that things were going to be better for his brother – that he wouldn't be so thoughtful all the time, but instead learn to enjoy life and live for the moment. At first, it had been like that, but lately Running Buck seemed to not pay as much attention to Little Sparrow as he had when the two first started seeing each other.

"Do you not enjoy Little Sparrow's company?" he asked outright, taking a non-diplomatic approach to the situation.

"What do you mean? Why would you ask that?" asked Running Buck and looked up at his older brother in a mixture of confusion and shock. "Of course I like her. I've known her and we've been friends since we were children."

"I know that, the two of you have always been inseparable. What I'm talking about is that first after you started seeing her, the two of you spent all day together, and it was her who made your meals, not our mother. Now, it is no longer like that. Mother has gone back to making your meals." Red Bear gave his younger brother a worried look. "You look good together, everybody thinks so."

"Well," started Running Buck. "It's not what everybody else thinks that's important here." He hadn't meant to be rude to his brother, it was just that his brother's way of thinking that he was always right, no matter what, infuriated him to no end, especially when it came to matters Running Buck considered private. Red Bear loved his wife, how could he know anything about what he felt, and more importantly, didn't felt for Little Sparrow. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." Running Buck looked down at his hands before he met his brother's worried eyes.

"It is alright," said Red Bear, his voice calm. Running Buck didn't usually snap at anybody like that and he needed to be careful if he wanted to get to the bottom and help with what was troubling his brother. "It is difficult to be young," he said knowingly. Running Buck took a deep breath and just nodded.

"Half the time I have no idea what I'm doing." Swallowing hard, Running Buck came to the realization that he could no longer carry this burden on his own. As he had kept his confusion and worry to himself, the burden and grown, and now it had gotten so big he could no longer mend it on his own. "It is confusing. Red Bear, you're older than me. Can I ask for your help to figure this out?"

"Of course little brother," said Red Bear. "You can always ask me for advice."

"Good," said Running Buck and he silently gathered the courage he needed to ask his brother some very difficult questions. "How is a husband supposed to feel about his wife?" He had meant to form his first question better, but found that he couldn't and that the more he thought about it, the more complicated and difficult everything became in his mind.

"That is indeed difficult to answer," said Red Bear as he thoughtfully chewed on the inside of his cheek. "I suppose that every married man and every married woman is different. The way I feel about Soft Flower is different from the way that our father feels about our mother, and it will be different from the way you will feel about your wife when that time comes."

Running Buck thought that his brother's words made a lot of sense, yet they didn't exactly help with his current situation. "What if I don't feel that way about Little Sparrow?"

"What do you mean, brother?"

"That I don't see her as being my wife when that time comes." Running Buck was having a hard time looking at his brother as he spoke. "Father said that love grows and matures over time, but I have known Little Sparrow since we were children, and I love her, but as a childhood friend, not as a wife."

"Then you should tell that to Little Sparrow. It wouldn't be fair to her to continue being more than just friends if that is not how you feel for her."

"I know," said Running Buck. "And I've been trying to tell her, it's just that it's expected of me and I don't want to hurt her."

"Little brother, you are a good man, and here I think that this is your biggest fault," said Red Bear with a bright smile as he tried to lighten the mood. "Perhaps your love will grow and mature like it did for me and Soft Flower, and perhaps it will not, but you have to remember that no matter what it can't be forced."

"I know," said Running Buck and nervously fiddled his hands together. "I haven't been with Little Sparrow for long, but I can hear the talk around the village; they'll be expecting us to move together any day now. And … I think that Little Sparrows feels the same."

"She is concerned about you," said Red Bear. "She is confused about how you have become more distant and daydreaming instead of being with her."

"How do you know?" asked Running Buck, his brow furrowing. "Have she talked to you?" In a way it hurt that Little Sparrow hadn't told him about her worries, but at the same time he understood that she hadn't. Red Bear's words were right; he had been daydreaming instead of paying attention to Little Sparrow.

"No," said Red Bear. "She hadn't told me, but I can see it when she looks at you. It is with longing … and with concern."

"I never meant to hurt her," said Running Buck with a small sigh. Lately, it seemed that everything he did ended up going wrong.

xXx

As Red Bear headed back towards the village, Running Buck lingered behind. He couldn't go back, not until he had gathered the courage to confront Little Sparrow with the truth that he didn't love her as anything other than a friend. He hoped that it wasn't too much to ask for that the two would still remain friends. Taking a deep breath, Running Buck started to walk along the river's edge. For some reason he always thought better when he was walking.

Mumbling words to himself, Running Buck had pretend conversations with Little Sparrow. All of them, no matter how apologetic or diplomatic he tried to be, ended in tears. Before, Little Sparrow had been his best friend, the one person he could always rely on to help him through whatever difficulties he was going through. After that day when the two of them had taken a step away from being just friends, and a step towards being something else, Running Buck feared that they had lost the bond of friendship between them that symbolized friendship.

Feeling like he was going to give up, Running Buck took a deep breath and looked up from the reverie in which he had been trying to figure out what the next course of action would be. The surroundings, he realized that he had never been this far away from the village before. Well, maybe when his father had taken him hunting, but then he hadn't been alone. Taking a deep breath, he knew that there was no need to panic; he had followed the river and to find his way back he only had to turn back and go the way from which he had arrived.

The voice – he hadn't noticed it before now. He didn't know what was wrong with him. For a moment he froze, fearing that he had come across white men. From what his father had been telling him and from what he heard the other men talk about in the village, white men meant bad news. Crouching down behind a tree he knew that until he figured out what to do next, he would have to remain out of sight. The voice didn't sound that of a man, it was to light and too much like a woman, a white woman.

The voice allured him to come closer to where it source was. He wanted to resist, but found that he couldn't. He must find out who the person that sang so … so beautifully was.

Biting hard on his lower lip, Running Buck gazed at the first white person he had ever seen. He had never seen a person with light skin and red hair before. She was so different and so beautiful. Her face was beautiful and delicate, yet strong at the same time. Running Buck could tell that she was a survivor. The white woman sat on the river bank and brushed her hair, which was long, wavy and red. He had never seen hair like that before and he thought it was beautiful.

Just looking at her, Running Buck could see that she had the softest and most caring spirit he had ever seen in another human being. He could hear by the sound of her voice that, even though he didn't understand the words, she cared about everything around her and that she would never do anything to harm Mother Nature like he had heard stories of white people doing. Maybe all the stories he had heard about white people were wrong. He hoped so because he would really like to get to know this woman with hair as red as blood better.

His eyes briefly closing he could see himself being with her in a dance that's as old as time itself. He could see him and her sharing sleeping mats and spending time together as husband and wife.

The voice of reason in the back of his mind knew that he should not be watching her like this and that it was only a matter of time before people back at the village would begin to worry about him. He didn't know about how it was like in the white world, but in the village it was rude to spy on people like he was now.


	3. Chapter 3

Running Buck walked slowly back to the village. It was a good thing that his feet knew the way back home as his mind was filled with images of the odd, yet beautiful white girl he had seen brushing her hair by the river. She was strange and exotic and something that he had never seen before in his life. More than anything he wanted to get to know her better and find out if there was a possibility that she would like him as well. After talking with his brother and especially after seeing the white girl, he knew in his heart that he couldn't put it off any longer. He had to tell Little Sparrow the truth, something which he should have done a long time ago.

In the village, Buck stood outside the teepee that he shared with his parents and looked around for Little Sparrow. A small smile came to her lips as she approached him. Buck swallowed hard, his mind not letting go of the thought of the difficult things he had to tell Little Sparrow. On his way back from the river he had decided that he wasn't going to tell anyone about the white girl he had seen there. At least for now, that was a secret he would have to keep to himself.

Little Sparrow was worried about Running Buck. He hadn't come back with Red Bear after the two had raced together. Lately, he had been acting so strange, and he wouldn't tell her why. Every time she asked if something was wrong or if there was something he would like to talk about he would just say that it was nothing, and then go back to being strange and gloomy.

"Are you alright?" she asked as she came up next to him and took his hand in hers. She gave it a light squeeze, hoping that it would reassure him and give him the confidence he needed to tell her what was going on.

"Yeah, I think so," said Running Buck. In the back of his mind, he knew that it wasn't the right thing to say, the words had just come out of his mouth before he had a chance to really think about it. "Little Sparrow, can we go somewhere alone? There's something we need to talk about."

"Of course," said Little Sparrow and led him to a place secluded by trees right outside the village. She didn't know if this would be the right place to take Running Buck to talk as it was usually a place where young lovers went when they wanted some time alone. At the top of her head, this was the only place she could think of where she was sure that they would be left alone. "Let's sit down," she said and Buck followed Little Sparrow's lead.

'He looks so lost and alone,' Little Sparrow thought to herself as she looked at him. 'And confused, too,' she added as an afterthought. "Running Buck, whatever's wrong, you know that I'll be here for you and that we can work through problems together."

Those words made Running Buck swallow hard. Why was she being so nice to him? That only made things that much harder. How on earth would he be able to break her feelings like he was about to? For some strange reason, he wished that his brother was there with him. Red Bear would know what to do in this situation and would help him in the direction which would cause the least amount of harm.

"Running Buck, why are you being so quiet?" asked Little Sparrow as she reached up to touch his cheek with the palm of her hand. He didn't lean into her touch like he used to. He was being cold and distant again. "You're scaring me when you're being all quiet like this. You know that I love you, right?" She looked at him with a pleading look in her eyes.

At her words, Running Buck pulled away. He couldn't look her in the eye. She had never told him that she loved him before. In a way, he loved her back; it was just not in the same way. He loved her more in the way that a childhood friend loves another childhood friend. For every moment that passed, breaking up with Little Sparrow was getting more and more difficult. She loved him and he couldn't return it.

"Little Sparrow…" he started. He knew that it couldn't put this off much longer know, he had already let it go too far. "I've really cherished the time that the two of us have spent together." He swallowed hard and lifted his head so that he would be able to look her in the eye. When he saw the hurt and confused expression on her face, his heart sank even further down into the pit of her stomach. What was he doing? There was no way on earth he would be able to have a future with the white girl he had seen by the river. Why had he even, ever so briefly, entertained that thought?

"I've appreciated that time as well," said Little Sparrow as she gave his hand another squeeze. "What is it that's troubling you? We can figure it out together. All you have to do it ask."

"That's just it," said Running Buck in an exasperated voice. "This is something that we can't figure out together." There was so much more that he wanted, needed, to say, but he had to stop himself when seeing the frightened look on Little Sparrow's face. "I'm sorry," he hurried to add, "I didn't mean it like that."

"Then what did you mean it like?" asked Little Sparrow, arching a brow and looking at Running Buck with a guarded expression. She didn't know what was going to happen next, but she wasn't about to allow it to harm her feelings.

"What I've been trying to say for a long time, but not having the courage to, is that I don't love you in the same way that a husband should love a wife. The way I love you is in the way that a brother should love a sister."

"What? I don't understand. Then why did you agree to us being more than just friends if that wasn't how you felt?"

"Because I didn't know any better. I didn't know how I felt and for that I'm sorry." Briefly, Running Buck looked down on his hands and before he again met her eyes which were rimmed by tears. "I'm sorry. I wish I felt about you the way I should, but I don't."

"Go," Little Sparrow said and stared him right in the eyes. "Go, I want to be alone."

Running Buck nodded and slowly rose from where he had been sitting on the ground. He wanted to be with her and somehow make it better, but he knew that wouldn't be possible when he was the one who had hurt her. A part of him though that he should just forget about the fact that he didn't love Little Sparrow, forget about the white girl by the river and just do what was expected of him.

"I'm sorry. If there's anything you need…"

"Just go," said Little Sparrow and turned away from Running Buck. "What I need is you, but it seems I can't have that," she whispered as she could hear him walk away. She had never expected that it would come to this. Everyone with eyes in their heads would be able to see that the two of them were having difficulties, but she had always hoped that they would be able to work though their difficulties – together. She had never expected that Running Buck would just give up on what the two of them had together. She had known Running Buck since they were children, and it wasn't like him to just give up. In fact, he was the one who pushed her forwards when she wanted to give up.

Swallowing hard and wiping the back of her hand over her eyes, Little Sparrow wanted to be strong, but right now she didn't feel particularly like that. Usually, when she was sad or upset about something she would go to Running Buck for comfort and advice; this was the first time in her life when she wouldn't be able to do that. Feeling paralyzed, Little Sparrow sat on the ground and tried her best to gather the courage she needed to face the world, her parents, and not to mention, Running Buck. It wouldn't be possible to avoid him completely, no matter how much she hated him right now.

xXx

When Running Buck came back to the village, he could see that his brother sat outside the teepee which he shared with his wife. Running Buck gave his brother a short nod and a sad look, letting the older man know that he had finally been able to break up with Little Sparrow. He didn't much feel like talking to his brother – or anybody else for that matter right now.

For the rest of the day he avoided his brother as well as the rest of his family. He had just broken the heart of a girl he cared deeply about and for the moment, the last thing he wanted was to be in put in a situation where he would have to explain his actions, especially to his father. Running Buck could see that throughout the day, the man kept of giving him sour looks. The only thing that was holding him back was his wife.

As evening fell, Running Buck knew that he was no longer able to hold off the confrontation he knew would come. Sitting down on his sleeping mat, he felt unsure what he was going to do with himself. His father's eyes were piercing right through him.

"The word around the village, son, is that you have broken up with Little Sparrow and left her crying. Do you have any idea what you've done?" Running Buck swallowed as his father's booming voice reached his ears. He wanted to yell that he had never meant to hurt Little Sparrow's feelings, that he just couldn't wait hand and feet to do everything that was expected of him when he loved someone else, when he loved the white girl with the red hair he had seen by the river. It wouldn't be right to marry Little Sparrow when it was River Woman he loved.

"Yes," Running Buck instead replied. He didn't know if there was anything else he could say. He had never been able to lie to his father. "I broke up with her earlier today."

"You two looked good together. I had expected that a wedding would happen soon." The way Strong Buffalo looked at Running Buck made him feel like he was shrinking so much that it would only be a matter of time before he would drown in the buffalo hide he was sitting on.

"It won't father," Running Buck look down, not meeting his father's voice. "I don't love her," he added, his voice barely audible.

"Didn't I tell you that you must give love a chance to grow and to mature?" The way it was spoken and the tone of his father's voice told Running Buck that it wasn't meant to be a question.

"It can't be forced though," said Running Buck, finally feeling brave enough to meet his father's eyes. "It wouldn't be fair to marry Little Sparrow when I'm in…" He stopped abruptly, realizing that he had almost spoken about his feelings for River Woman.

"And who is this other woman?" asked Strong Buffalo, arching a brow and looking at his son. This was the first he had heard about Running Buck having feelings for someone that wasn't Little Sparrow. "You do know that we are respected in the village and this respect shouldn't be lost because you can't make up your mind about who to marry."

"I…" started Running Buck, not knowing how to continue. He could understand where his father was coming from. He had worked hard to be the respected man he was today, and Running Buck would hate to mess that up. The only problem was that he was being honest about Little Sparrow and the fact that he didn't love her – there was no way he could be honest about River Woman.

"I am sure that Running Buck will tell us when he feels that the time is right," said Morning Sun and placed a hand on her husband's arm. Running Buck noticed that this seemed to calm his father. Right now he was unable to look any of them in the eye.

"Yes, I will," he said in a soft voice. Earlier that day, he had gone through the many ways that this conversation could go. This was not one of them.

Strong Buffalo took a deep breath and looked from his son to his wife. "Alright," he said finally. "But I don't want you to do anything that's stupid, alright." He gave his son a look which stated that the young man would be in more trouble than he had ever been in before if he did something, anything, that would be considered stupid.

"I won't," said Running Buck, conflicted. A part of him needed to go back to the river to see if the white girl with the red hair was still there, though another part of him felt that that the chances of that relationship being accepted in the village was next to none. Chances were that it would also be something which his father considered stupid. Running Buck hated to admit it, but his father was right about one thing, it was stupid. He didn't even know the girl; he had hid behind some trees and spied on her.

"Running Buck," said Morning Sun and moved to sit next to her son, "you know that if there's anything that you would like to talk about, you can always come to us, right?" She knew that her son might react with more openness towards them if a more gentle approach was taken. She, as much as he husband, wanted to know who it was that Running Buck had his heart set on, but it wouldn't help to force it out of him.

"I know, mom," answered Running Buck with a soft smile. "It's just that I want to be sure what I'm doing before I disappoint or hurt anyone again."

Morning Sun nodded and then smiled with pride at her youngest son's wisdom. Laying one arm around his shoulders she pulled him into a hug. "I know things are difficult for you right now, son, but I think you made the adult decision. Staying with her when you don't love her like a husband should love a wife would only make things more difficult in the end. Not to mention that you would be lying to both her and yourself." She gave her husband a look which told him to be quiet.

Running Buck nodded. He was glad that his mother was there to help him make sense of everything that was going through his head. Right now, it was all so confusing and he didn't know quite what the best ways to go about things were.

"Mom," Running Buck asked. "When do I know if it's real?" He swallowed hard as his father rolled his eyes, though Running Buck was glad that he didn't say anything.

"When it's real, you'll know it," said Morning Sun. "It's getting late now and I think it's time for a young man to turn in. Tomorrow is a new day which has new possibilities."


	4. Chapter 4

Pushing the plow over the field, even with the help of a horse, was hard work and Rebecca could feel the sweat drip down her forehead. Stopping to wipe it off with the back of her hand, Rebecca looked around at her surroundings. Lately she couldn't help but to feel like there was someone, or something, watching her. Shaking her head, she knew that she was probably just going crazy living on her own like she had been for the last 2 years. It was strange though, the loneliness had never bothered her before, why would it now?

Shaking her head again, Rebecca forced a small smile to her lips. "What do you say," she asked the horse, "shouldn't we get moving if we want this field done by the end of the day?" She smiled in earnest as the strong work horse whinnied in response to her question. "Giddy up then," she called to the animal.

At midday half the field was done, but it was also then that the accident happened. The plow caught on a big rock and broke. "Damn it," cried Rebecca as she stomped her foot for good measure. She was normally a soft spoken girl, but knowing the consequences of something breaking which she wasn't able to fix herself, she could allow herself a good cuss.

"Damn it…" The voice was strange and though the voice was imitating her cuss though to the person saying them it sounded foreign. Rebecca felt the hair rise on back of her neck. Slowly she turned and saw a young Indian which she would guess was about her own age, maybe a little younger. His hair was long and hung loose around his shoulders, nor did he have a shirt on. The Indian wasn't like any man Rebecca had ever seen before.

"Who are you?" she asked in a wary voice. "Why are you doing here?" He looked at her with a confused stare, making her realize that he didn't understand what she was saying. Taking a deep breath, Rebecca tried to force her body to relax. It worked, but only a small extent. She figured that if he was going to in any way harm her, he would probably have done so a long time ago. That was if he was the one who had been watching her. Her father had said it was important to give people the benefit of the doubt.

"Do you need help?" the Indian asked though she didn't understand the strange words. She looked at him with a confused expression. When he pointed at the broken plow, she thought she was beginning to understand. They could use their hands to communicate and that way hopefully be able to understand each other a little better.

"Yes, it broke. Can you help me fix it? I don't know how to do it on my own." She too pointed to the plow. The Indian knelt down next to the plow and looked at it, trying to figure out how the contraption worked. Smiling to himself, he rose to his feet and with careful hands undid the buckled which kept the horse tied to the plow.

xXx

Running Buck didn't know if he was supposed to be happy or sad for River Woman when the equipment she had been using to work with the earth broke. He was sad for her sake, but he was happy because it gave him an opportunity to approach her.

"Damn it…" he said, imitating her words. He didn't know what they meant, but he said them just the same. Running Buck had no idea what the best way to greet a person in the white world would be so his best chance would be to repeat her words. The way she looked at him, Running Buck wasn't sure if he had made a mistake in letting his presence be known or not. The next time she spoke though, he got the feeling that she wasn't offended by him being here.

"Do you need help?" he asked and pointed at the broken plow on the ground. Running Buck smiled as it appeared that River Woman understood what it was he wanted, even though she didn't know the words he was saying. Looking at the strange machinery, Running Buck wasn't sure how he was going to fix it, but he knew that he had to try. He didn't want to fail the white woman with the red hair now that he had promised to help her.

The first thing he needed to do was to remove the horse away from the plow. He studied the harness and figured out which of the straps were the ones that attached the horse to the machinery. Undoing the correct straps, Running Buck took the bridle of what must be the biggest horse he had ever seen and gave the reins to River Woman. Smiling, he wanted a way to tell her that she could take care of the horse while he looked at the plow.

She stood there holding the horse. Running Buck knew that it would be difficult for the two to communicate. Giving her a small and somewhat shy smile, he went back to looking at the plow and figuring out how it worked. Earlier that very same time she had seen her work with it and Running Buck guessed that it was used to prepare the soil for sowing. The bit that was meant to move the upper layer of soil away had broken in half when it had hit a rock in the ground. Scratching his head, Running Buck touched the material of the plow, and wondered how on earth he was going to fix it.

The material that the plow was made out of was hard and nothing like he had ever seen before. When he tapped it with his hand Running Buck could hear that it made a clanking sound. Taking a deep breath, he knew he had to give up, there was no way he would be able to help her with fixing it.

Standing up from where he had been sitting on the ground, Running Buck went to stand next to the horse and patted his strong neck. "I'm sorry," he told River Woman even though he knew that she wouldn't be able to understand him. "I'm not able to help you fix it. I don't know how, but if you want I can help you plow the rest of the field."

She looked at him with wonder in her eyes. Everything she had learned about Indians seemed to be wrong; at least judging by the one standing next to her now. He had kind eyes and he had tried to help her fix the plow. She knew that it was bound to break as the old thing was rusty and not very well kept. Her father had told her that they had found it when they moved to the farm.

"Running Buck," the Indian said and pointed to himself. She didn't understand at first, but when he repeated the words, she guessed that he was trying to tell her his name.

"Rebecca," she answered and pointed to herself.

'Rebecca'. Running Buck tasted the name on his lips and tried to pronounce it. It didn't come out the same way as when she had said it, but he figured that he was close enough. He had all the time in the world to practice it. Feeling something warm and fuzzy by his feet, Running Buck looked down to see a black cat rubbing itself against his leg and purring.

"I think he likes you," said Rebecca with a bright smile. "It's strange he usually doesn't like strangers, but he seems to have taken a liking to you." Running Buck's smile matched hers as he bent down to pick up the cat. The black ball of fur settled himself against his chest and purred, his eyes closed, happy with his new 'bed'. "Would you like to come inside?" asked Rebecca and pointed at the log cabin she called home.

Running Buck cocked his head to one side and looked at her. He had seen the house before and he guessed that it was where she lived, but he had never in his life thought that he would set foot inside one. There was an awkward moment of silence between that which even the black cat in his arms seemed to notice as it pushed his paws against his chest and gave him an indignant look, almost as if telling him that if he knew what was best for him he would relax.

The woman who called herself Rebecca, and who he called River Woman after the spot by the river where he had first seen her, seemed persistent that he should come with her into the house. Taking a trying step, he knew that he was doing something right as Rebecca smiled and the two walked towards the cabin. She held the door open for him. Once inside, all Running Buck could was to look around with his eyes wide open. This was so much different from what the teepees were like in the village.

There was an elevated bed in one corner. At least he assumed that it was a bed because there were blankets on them. A table in another corner, though Running Buck had no idea what it would be used for. The one thing that struck him as the most different was that the fireplace wasn't in the middle of the room like they were in the village, but rather against one of the walls. Why was that, the fire would bring much better heat if it was in the middle of the room.

"I suppose this is the first time you've been inside a white person's house," said Rebecca with a nervous laugh. "Why don't you sit down and I'll make you something to eat." She pointed at the table, which had two chairs standing next to it. Running Buck looked at her, confused. Letting out a breath, Rebecca realized that they probably didn't have chairs where he was from. With a small smile she pulled out both of the chair and sat down on one of them, indicating that he would do the same with the other chair.

Sitting down like that, Running Buck smiled with pride as he had done something correct. He wanted to make River Woman proud.

"That's right," said Rebecca as she stood, but motioned for him to remain seated. With

graceful motions she went about the small kitchen part of the cabin and started to cook some of the leftovers from the day before. She didn't know if he would like it since she had no idea what Indians usually ate, though it wouldn't hurt to try something new. A little change had never harmed a soul.

Putting the warmed dish on two plates, she picked up a knife and fork for herself and one for her new Indian friend who called himself Running Buck. As she sat down the plate of food down in front of him, the Indian picked up the eating utensils with a confused look on his face. Rebecca figures that they didn't use knives and forks to eat with at the village where he lived. Picking up the two instruments, Rebecca showed him how to hold them. The look on his face was still confused.

Rebecca put her own knife and fork down and molded her own hands around Running

Buck's. As she touched his hand, Running Buck felt as though he had been hit by lighting.

Swallowing hard, he looked down at her hands showing his how to properly hold the eating utensils. When he finally figured it out, he felt a loss when she removed her hands.

The food she had given him tasted different than anything his mother, or Little Sparrow had ever prepared for him. The seasoning was different, but it was a good different. He smiled at her as his way of telling her that he enjoyed the food she had offered him.

After the meal had been finished, Buck put the knife and fork down on the table and was unsure what he was going to do next. He had no idea what the etiquette was in he white world how to act after one had finished a meal. "Thank you," he said and pointed at the empty plate, a big smile on his face. Looking out the window, he saw that it was beginning to get late. He knew that it was only for so long he would be able to sneak away and at the same time have a plausible explanation to his absence.

Ever since the day when he had discovered the River Woman, he had been sneaking away to watch her every chance he got. Many times his father had asked him where it was he was going. Running Buck hated to lie to his father, but he had to say something. The only thing he had been able to think of at the top of his head was to say that he was running so that he would make a better warrior in a battle. Strong Buffalo seemed pleased that his youngest son wanted to be a warrior just like his father. For a long time Buck had been undecided about what role he wanted to fill in the village. It wasn't all lie, because he was running and training strength as well. It was just what he did in between the practice that he had to be quiet about.

"I should get going," he said and pointed to the sun which was about to set. "It's getting late and if I'm not back before the sun sets I'm in trouble." A part of him said that he was acting like a bumbling fool and if he knew what was good for him he should just keep his big mouth shut. "If it's alright with you, I'll come back to visit you again tomorrow."

"Are you leaving?" asked Rebecca, a sadness coming over that she couldn't rightly explain. There was something about the Indian which she couldn't explain, t least not in any words that she knew. They both rose from the table and stood in front of each other. Swallowing hard he reached to take her hand in his and he bent in to give her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

Before she really knew what was going on, the Indian had disappeared out the door. Taking a deep breath, she sat down at the table. Could it really be that he was falling for him? The kiss had been so sweet and gentle. The rational part of her told her that it would never work, but the romantic young woman in her thought it would last forever.


	5. Chapter 5

"Where have you been?" asked Red Bear with a goofy grin plastered on his face as Running Buck came back to the village. "It's almost dark and you've been gone for the better part of the day." His older brother had been sitting outside the teepee he shared with his wife, obviously waiting for him to come back.

"I've been practicing," said Running Buck, trying his best to hide the expression of a man in love. Today had been one of the best days in his life and he didn't want his brother or anything else to destroy that. "You know I've been practicing a lot lately."

"Sure you have," grinned Red Bear. "That's why you can't hide that grin on your face." His younger brother wouldn't be able to squirm away from explaining himself this time.

"I don't know what you're talking about," grumbled Running Buck as he walked towards his own home. Why did his brother always have to be all in his business like that? Taking a deep breath, Running Buck mentally prepared himself for what his father might say about him being gone so much. The older man must know that he wasn't just running around and doing strength training. Red Bear had been able to see through him a long time ago. Not to mention the fact that he had nearly admitted that he liked a girl that wasn't Little Sparrow.

Sighing, Running Buck willed his shoulders to relax and gathered the courage he needed to go inside.

"Did you have a good practice?" asked his mother as Running Buck sat down next to the fire ready to have the evening meal.

"Yeah," said Running Buck looking down at his lap. His mother had always been able to tell when he was lying.

"There is something I've been thinking about," Strong Buffalo mused and shared a look with his wife. Running Buck had a bad feeling about this. "I appreciate that you've been training to become a warrior, but I'm beginning to wonder about the amount of training you're doing and the fact that you're not training with the other young men. You can injure yourself with too much training."

Running Buck paused to consider what his next words would be. He knew that he had to choose them carefully or else his charade would be revealed. "I … I just want to be sure that I figure it out and am doing it correctly before I show anyone." He knew that there was a small chance he would get away with it. The fact of the matter was that he had always been skinnier and wirier than the other young men his age. He could pretend that he was insecure about it and that he didn't want the others too see.

"Very well," said Strong Buffalo. "Just remember that you are my son and that I'm the warrior chief in this village. You carry my blood and I'm sure you will do well with the others tomorrow."

"Strong Buffalo," Morning Sun hissed, wanting her husband not to push her son into something. Judging by the look on her son's face, she had a feeling that there was much more behind him sneaking off that just being insecure about training in front of the other young men his own age.

"Not now," said Strong Buffalo, dismissing his wife. "There is also the matter that you have not yet chosen a wife. What about the young woman you won't tell us who is?"

"It's…" Running Buck looked down on his hands for a few moments before he met the eyes of his parents. "It's complicated. I want to make sure that it's real first." There was only for so long that he would be able to keep on lying to his parents, but for the moment he could only hope that he would be able to get away with it.

"And when will you know if it's real?" asked Strong Buffalo. It had never been this difficult for Red Bear to find a wife. What could it be that was taking Running Buck so long to tell them who it was that he liked?

"When it feels like it," said Running Buck defiantly. "I'm sorry, mom. I'm not really hungry tonight so would it be alright if I just go to sleep? I'm really tired after training so much."

"Of course," said Morning Sun before her husband had a chance to even think about open his mouth. "You must be exhausted." She took the untouched food away from him and pulled the buffalo hide up over his shoulders. "You sleep well my son and tomorrow will be a brand new day." Running Buck nodded and one hand slowly moved to pull the hide up over his ears.

Sitting back, Morning Sun let out the breath she had been holding. Giving her husband a glare, she had to fight not to loudly proclaim her anger towards him. "Now look what you've done," she hissed in a low voice, presuming that Running Buck had fallen asleep from exhaustion so that he wouldn't hear what she had to tell her husband. "The last thing he needs right now is for you to expect too much of him. You know how he is. He always wants to do what's expected of him. How can he do that when you expect the impossible?"

"I don't think I'm being unreasonable," argued Strong Buffalo. "It's about time that he grew up and became a man."

"There's a difference between growing up and wanting him to attend to your every need," countered Morning Sun. "Don't you see that Running Buck is making the adult decision here? When he realized that he didn't love Little Sparrow he broke up with her. He wouldn't be a man if he didn't. He was being honest and that is a value you greatly appreciate, is it not?"

"It is," admitted Strong Buffalo, acknowledging that there was a difference between Running Buck doing what was expected of him and doing what was right. "I still think that he should tell us who it is that he's seeing. I want to meet the young woman who has captured our son's heart."

"You will," said Morning Sun with a small voice. "When he is ready to introduce her to us."

Under the blankets, Running Buck felt worry begin to simmer in the pit of his stomach. Biting his lip, he pulled the blanket up over his head, knowing that he would have to make a lot of difficult decisions. None of which he really wanted to make. The first problem he was faced with was the fact that he and River Woman didn't understand each other. Their 'conversation' earlier that day was proof of that. The second problem was that there was no way he would be able to bring her to the village; his father would never approve of him seeing a white girl. Overhearing the conversation between his parents, he knew that his mother would take the worst sting away, but it still wouldn't be very pleasant. He didn't want to put River Woman through that.

Maybe for now he would just get to know her better, learn her language so that they would be able to speak together. Then if all went well, the two of them could together decide what to do. The fact of the matter was that everything that was going on in his head didn't just affect him, but River Woman as well.

As his parents seemed to calm down, Running Buck let out a sigh in relief. Growing up wasn't easy. Running Buck decided that despite the fact that his father wanted him to train with the other boys, he would sneak away to be with River Woman. Even though he didn't understand her, he had promised her that he would come and help her plow the rest of the field.

As he thought these thoughts, his eyes closed and he fell asleep.

xXx

The following morning, Running Buck ate his breakfast in silence. It seemed that ever since he broke things off with Little Sparrow, he had lost more and more friends with each day that went by. At first Running Buck was confused about what was going on, but then he realized why. Little Sparrow had never done anything to harm him, the reason why he had broken up her was apparent only to him. He was the only one who knew that he didn't love her; it didn't have a physical manifestation. People couldn't see how he felt and that was the reason why they couldn't see his side of the story.

A part of him wanted to go to Little Sparrow and beg her for forgiveness. He would never forget about River Woman, but it would be easier for Little Sparrow – himself as well. Would he be able to live with himself having done something like that? Buck didn't think so. Taking a deep breath, Running Buck put his empty bowl down. "I'm going for a run," he said to his parents and without waiting for a reply he walked off. He knew he was being rude, but he just had to get away so he would be able to breathe without feeling like a buffalo was sitting on his chest.

His love life, if that was what it could be called, made things difficult for him to be with his parents for too long. This was the first time he had any reason to lie to them and he hated every moment of it. Pondering the situation he had found himself in, Running Buck walked until he was well out of the village. Only then did he begin to run. He knew that the sun would be higher in the sky before he was at River Woman's home. Running Buck wanted to run faster, but had to hold himself back so he wouldn't

overexert himself on the way there.

xXx

Two months had passed and lately it seemed that the only bright point in Running Buck's life was spending time with River Woman. He had learned that her white name was Rebecca and he had also learned how to pronounce it correctly. She had learned his name as well, which made him proud. Running Buck helped her out with the farm and the two made a great team. When they weren't working, the two sat outside and learned to know each other.

Running Buck had to smile when he thought about it. Rebecca and he had created a new language, making it a mix between English and the Kiowa tongue. Remembering the time he had asked his mother how he would know when it was real and she had answered that he would know it, Running Buck now knew that his mother had been right about that. Being with Rebecca, helping out with her farm and sitting in the shade, he felt like him and Rebecca were the only two people in the world.

He was a man in love.

In the evenings, Running Buck knew that it would only be for so long he would be able to keep it up. He wasn't exactly being a productive member of the tribe. Every day he spent with Rebecca, not training for war with the other young men, he didn't hunt. Very soon he would have to make a decision that would affect the rest of his and Rebecca's life; would he move from the village to her farm, or would he take her to live in the village? Running Buck knew that it would be difficult for Rebecca to live in the village. Life in the village was different from the white world, not to mention that with the way the others treated him, chances were that they would treat Rebecca much in the same way.

He would talk to her when he visited her today. It wouldn't be right if he made decisions such as the ones that needed to be made without Rebecca having anything to say.

Arriving at the outskirts of Rebecca's property, Running Buck leaned against a tree as he rested. If he was going to help her with plowing the field, he needed to be well rested. Hearing noises he didn't expect to hear from the small farm River Woman loved on, Running Buck hid himself behind the tree and made himself as small as possible. If he was going to interfere, he wanted to know what was going on before he did so. If he acted without care, there was the possibility that Rebecca might get hurt.

"Where is this months debt?" a gruff male voice said.

"I don't have them," said Rebecca, knowing that it wouldn't pay off to lie about not having the money. The last couple of months had been difficult for her, the only bright spot in her day was when Running Buck came to visit with her.

The man grabbed Rebecca by the throat. The grip he had on her was so tight there was no way she could answer the question. "Where is it? This farm looks like it's doing pretty god. You must have been able to make some money off of it." His face was so close to hers that when he spoke saliva escaped from his lips and landed unceremoniously on her face.

Running Buck grabbed the hilt of the knife he carried on his boot. The knife was his pride and joy, given to him by his father. He was willing to use this gift to protect River Woman. Red Bear had given him a gift as well and to protect River Woman he would now combine the two gifts.

Rebecca now, more than ever, hated the fact that she had been left alone after her father had been killed over something as stupid as gambling debts. More than once she had begged him not to go into town to gamble, she had forced him to take her with him so that she would be able to baby-sit him. Adult-sit him may be the correct term for the situation between father and daughter.

"I don't have it," she managed to croak. "With all the rain…" The angry expression on the man who she was sure she would owe for the rest of her life became strange and suddenly fell forwards, both of them falling to the ground. "What," she croaked and pushed his arm away. What was it that had happened? Crawling out from under him, she saw that the debt collector had a knife in his back. She had seen that knife before.

"You," she said and looked up at Running Buck. "You … you saved me." With careful steps he moved towards her. He wanted to ask her if she was alright, but he couldn't find the words. He pulled his knife out of the dead man's back, wiped the blood off

of it and sheathed it. Reaching out a shaky hand, he touched her arm. The light touch seemed to pull her out of the shock she was in and she hurled herself in his arms. They clung to each other, fearing that something horribly wrong would happen if they let go. Both their heads snapped up as they heard voices.

Running Buck grabbed a hold of Rebecca's arm and pulled her into the woods. They needed to get away and fast or else they would be more trouble than what they would manage to get themselves out of. Tripping on the hem of her dress, Rebecca fell, scratching her hands and face as she landed. Running Buck, held his breath as he stopped and bent down to check if she was alright. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he had done anything that would cause her pain.

"I'm alright," said Rebecca as she sat up and brushed the dirt of her hands. The pain made her wince and she bit her lip. She didn't want Running Buck to think that she was slowing them down. "We need to get going." Rising to her feet, Rebecca took her hand in his and started to run. They both had to stop dead in their tracks as a man blocked the trail. "Where do you think you two are going?"


	6. Chapter 6

Running Buck looked up at his brother and gasped. "What are you doing here?" he asked. Rebecca positioned herself directly behind him and made herself as small as possible. Running Buck turned around and gave her a small smile. "It's alright, he's my brother."

Red Bear had a big grin plastered on his face. "Saving you and your girlfriend from the looks of things," he said. "You two run, I'll stop whatever trouble you've got yourself into."

"Thanks," said Running Buck before he turned back to Rebecca. "He'll stop any trouble. Right now we need to run."

Rebecca looked from Running Buck to his brother and Buck, they were talking so fast there was no way, even with the Kiowa Running Buck had been teaching her, would she be able to catch what they were saying. What she did understand was that they needed to run and fast. They only stopped when they were out of breath.

"How is your face?" asked Running Buck in between gasping for air. He wanted to keep running, but with Red Bear helping them out, he figured they could afford a little rest.

"It's been better," said Rebecca, wincing as her muscles moved under the bruised skin. Running Buck, reached out and touched her cheek. "My mother will have some herbs that will help ease the pain." He didn't know what else to say as Red Bear appeared on the trail.

"The men who are following you won't be bothering you any more." He held one arm around his brother's shoulder and another around Rebecca's shoulder. "Now we need to get back to the village and prepare for more problems. I removed all my arrows so they won't know it was Kiowa, but the white man may be smarter than what we give him credit for. She," he motioned to Rebecca, "is smart to have fallen for you."

Running Buck felt a blush rise to his cheeks at his brother's praise. He took Rebecca's hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. He knew that there would be hardships ahead, but at least his brother was accepting of his relationship to Rebecca. Red Bear was well loved and respected in the village so it would be good to have him on their side. Running Buck knew that they should get moving soon, after everything that had happened to Rebecca it would be good for her to rest up.

Placing a light kiss on her lips, Running Buck knew that Rebecca was strong and that despite the hardships they might face in the future, the two would make it. This was reassured by seeing Rebecca smile. Red Bear grinned at the two lovebirds as he lead them towards what they hoped would be their new home.

xXx

As Rebecca and the two brothers entered the village, the young woman could feel all eyes on her. With her light skin and fiery red hair, she certainly stood out. Swallowing hard she wanted to stand behind Running Buck so that they wouldn't look at her with those suspicious stares. In a way, the village was everything that she had imagined it to be with the teepees and the people. She just wished that she would gain the ability to sink into a hole in the ground.

"Red Bear," a voice boomed and Strong Buffalo walked towards them with steady steps. "When I asked you to look at what Running Buck was doing, I did not mean that you were free to take a white girl back to the village!"

Red Bear took a step forwards to block his father's view of he white girl his brother had fallen for. "Running Buck," he said in a soft voice, "I think it might be a good idea if you…"

Running Buck nodded and went to stand in front of his father. He took a few deep breaths as he mentally prepared the speech he would give. "Father, I know I should have told you this earlier, but I wanted to make sure that it was real before I told you." He swallowed and thought about what had happened between him and Little Sparrow. Looking around the crowd that had gathered to figure out why there was a white girl in the village, he could see her standing with a group of her friends. To Running Buck, Little Sparrow looked even more suspicious than the rest.

"This time I know that it is real. I've been going to see her and we've gotten to know each other better. Father, a man was attacking her and I killed him to protect her. Then Red Bear showed up and helped us escape because there were more coming after her. Red Bear removed all trace that we are Kiowa."

"Running Buck," Strong Buffalo tried his best to contain his anger so that he wouldn't lose face with the rest of the members of the village. Taking a deep breath, he didn't yell at his son, but instead said in a soft voice, "Let's go inside." Followed by his wife, he led his two sons and Rebecca into the teepee. Running Buck gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"So, this is the girl that you love?" Strong Buffalo asked his son as motioned in the general direction of where Rebecca stood.

"Yes, father," said Running Buck, his voice firm and strong. "She is the one that I love and if she agrees, then I will marry her."

Seeing a vein appear on her husband's forehead, Morning Sun placed a hand on his shoulder. "It may not be what you planned for your son, but things are what they are. Not even the Great Spirit can change that." Strong Buffalo opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out. His wife had that effect on him, she had the ability to make him at a loss for words with just a touch.

Morning Sun walked over to Rebecca. She had never seen hair this red before. The girl looked to be the same age as Running Buck and she had a lithe figure. Behind the confused and fearful look on her eyes, she could see the beauty she carried within. Rebecca wasn't sure how she was supposed to react to the woman she assumed was Running Buck's mother. She knew that the woman wouldn't harm her, but she was nervous about all the sudden changes.

"Running Buck," said Morning Sun. "You have fallen in love with a beautiful girl and I know that she will make you happy." Running Buck smiled with pride at the compliments his mother was giving him and Rebecca. His father may not like her, but with his mother on their side, he knew that it would only be a matter of time before the older man came around.

"She has scraped her face though. I have some herbs which will make it heal better." She reached for a small pouch made out of the softest leather and stuck two fingers in it. Rebecca moved to stand behind Buck, unsure what Running Buck's mother had said and fearful of what was in the bag.

"It's alright," said Running Buck and pulled a wayward lock of red hair away from her face. "She wants to put some ointment on your face and hands to make them heal better." The soft smile on his hands helped her calm down and taking a deep breath she took a step towards Running Buck's mother.

With soft hands, Morning Sun pulled Rebecca's hair away from her face and put the ointment on her face. Rebecca thought that it stung at first, but it left a soothing feeling. Running Buck smiled at the scene before him. He still knew that there would be many challenges ahead as Rebecca and him made their life together.

"You'll do just fine," Red Bear whispered in his brother's ear.

xXx

Morning Sun had laid out a sleeping mat for Rebecca to sleep on and put it down next to Running Buck's. In the short time Rebecca had been in the village, she hadn't said much, but Morning Sun knew that her son had taught his girlfriend some of the language and she had taught him some of hers. When it was time to prepare for bed she smiled at the thought that the two looked good together.

Laying down on the mat made of buffalo hide, Rebecca wasn't sure if she would be able to fall asleep. She was tired, it wasn't that. But so much had happened that day and so many thoughts were going through his head, she needed time to figure everything out. A part of her knew that she would never be able to go back to the farm where she had grown up. Sooner or later, the man who Running Buck had killed and the men that she was sure Red Bear had taken care of would be found. Since she was the one who loved there, then she would be the first suspect.

The choice had in many ways been made for her; from now on she would stay in the village with Running Buck. Running Buck had always been so good with her and she was pretty sure that she loved him. Thinking about him, made her realize that she had saved his life and if he hadn't been there for her she would have been dead or worse by now. Biting her lip, she tried to hold the tears back, turned away from the embers of the fire which had been placed in the middle of the teepee. Crawling into Running Buck's safe arms she rested her head against his chest.

"Are you alright?" whispered Buck, his mouth close to her ear. He brushed a lock of stray hair away from her face and wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"Yeah, I think so. I was just having a bad dream."

Running Buck reached his arms around her and held her close. "It's alright, they can't hurt you any more. They're all gone now."

The following morning, Morning Sun was the first to wake as she needed to prepare the morning meal. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she looked around the teepee and smiled as she saw her son and Rebecca asleep on the same mat, the one she had laid out of Rebecca empty. The smiles on their faces told her that Running Buck and this white woman who carried the strange name of Rebecca were happy together.

A sly smile appeared on her face as a plan formed in the back of her mind. "Strong Buffalo," she said in a low voice as she shook her husband's shoulder. He let out a couple of grumbles which were unintelligible before he rolled over and returned to sleep. Morning Sun sighed and shook her head. Her husband had never been known to rise with the sun. "Strong Buffalo," she whispered again, a little louder this time though she feared that Running Buck would wake up. Her son had always been a light sleeper.

"What?" he grumbled, fully awake this time. "What's going on? Is something wrong?" The reason he asked was because Morning Sun usually didn't wake him up until the morning meal had been prepared. He sat up as Morning Sun shook her head. "Then what is it?" After everything that had happened the day before he really wasn't in the mood for fun and games, and his wife waking him up when nothing at all was wrong just didn't sit right with him.

"Look at them," said Morning Sun and pointed to Running Buck and Rebecca, still completely asleep in each others arms. "Don't they look cute together."

"Cute?" Strong Buffalo arched one eyebrow and looked at his wife in wonder. "Why do you think they look cute together?" He still weren't fully awake and he was sure that he would never like the white girl that Running Buck had been stupid enough to bring to the village. Running Buck had lied to him about saying that he was training to be a warrior on his own, and had instead been seeing this white girl. She was one of the enemy, and his youngest son had been stupid enough to fall for one when he and Little Sparrow were such a good match.

Morning Sun let out a sigh at her husband's reasoning. She could tell by the look on his face what he was thinking. Last night they had stayed up talking about what they were going to do with the new arrival and Strong Buffalo had been pretty determined that they should get rid of Rebecca. "Look, when was the last time you saw Running Buck smile like that, so at ease."

"When he first started to see Little Sparrow," grumbled Strong Wolf as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"You know that Running Buck and Little Sparrow weren't meant for each other," said Morning Sun as she started to massage Strong Wolf's shoulders, something she knew would always put him at ease. "Running Buck was seeing her because he thought that was what was expected of him, when he realized that he broke it off with her because he knew that it wouldn't be right to her when he didn't love her as any more than a childhood friend."

Letting out a soft breath, Strong Wolf moaned at his wife ministrations. She always had the ability to calm him down whenever he was tense and upset about something. He had to admit to himself that when he thought about Running Buck and his love life, his main concern had been that of making sure that his family didn't lose any of the respect that they had worked so hard to gain with the rest of the members of the village. What he hadn't been taking in to consideration was the happiness of his son.

Running Buck did look happy with the white girl he had brought with him to the village. The smiles on their faces had been proof of that. He was concerned for them; they had a long road to go and it wouldn't be an easy one.

"Alright," said Strong Buffalo in a soft voice as he took one of his wife's hands and gave it a light kiss. "They do look happy together. I worry about him though. Running Buck has always been one to want to figure things out on his own, and I admire him for that. It just seems that he bites over more than what he is able to chew and this time I don't think I can be able to help him … them out if the need be."

"Just let him know that you support him and that is all that will ask for you. Running Buck wants to be accepted." Morning Sun smiled. "Come now, let the young ones be alone for a while." She gave him a secret smile as she helped him to his feet. "We may be old, but were still young enough to have a little fun."

xXx

Running Buck hadn't let on that he had woken up as he listened to the conversation between his mother and father. With his eyes closed, his smile grew as he heard that his father was beginning to accept the relationship between himself and Rebecca. His mother had been right about that all he wanted from his father was for him to accept that he loved her. Placing a soft kiss on her nose, she stirred in her sleep.

"Is it morning already?" she asked in a sleepy voice and Buck nodded. She was absolutely certain that it had only been a few minutes ago that she had fallen asleep safely wrapped in Running Buck's arms. Stretching out like a cat, she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Where did you parents go?" she asked.

"They went outside," answered Running Buck as he brushed a wayward lock of hair out of her eye and tucked it securely behind her ear. "We're alone – for now." Suddenly, Running Buck felt unsure about what he was going to do next. They were alone and he loved her, but she had been through a lot and it wouldn't be right for him to try anything, at least not until he was sure that she wanted the same thing that he did.

"What are we going to do today?" Rebecca asked as she looked up at Running Buck. She could tell that he was thinking about something serious, though she wasn't sure if she should ask him what. She thought that it would be best for the both of them to start thinking ahead and looking at what the future might hold for them.

"I think we can do whatever we want. My father hasn't told me if I have any chores today," a bright smile came to his lips as he realized that he would be able to spend the whole day with Rebecca without having to feel guilty about ignoring his duties to his father and the rest of the village. "Is there anything you would like to do?"

"I would like to see the rest of the village," she said as she rested her head on his shoulder. She felt so safe being next to Running Buck. "Yesterday, things were sort of chaotic and things moved so fast. I would also like to thank your mother for giving me that ointment for my face and my hands. It really helped."

Running Buck nodded. "I think she was only glad to help. My mother has always been helpful when there's someone who needs it."

"There is one more think I would like to do," said Rebecca as she looked down at her dirty dress. "Take a bath."


	7. Chapter 7

Exiting the teepee, both Running Buck and Rebecca felt ready to start the day. With a shy smile, he took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. A slight tingle went up her arm and settled in her chest. She liked it when Buck held her hand like they were doing now. It eased her spirit and it gave her a base in the real world. As of late so many rapid changes had taken place and Buck had been there for her every step of the way. He had been there for her helping her with the farm when things were difficult for her and he had helped her escape the people her father had owed money to. Running Buck had been the best friend she had ever had and she was beginning to feel more for him than just friendship. She had never loved anybody as more than friends and she wasn't sure if what she felt was real.

This morning when she had woken up in his arms this overwhelming sense of peace had come over her. Even though it calmed her spirit she couldn't completely shut out the feeling that many difficulties lay ahead. Just standing outside the teepee where they had slept last night, she could both feel and see the strange looks they were giving her. There was one girl in particular that Rebecca noticed. 'If looks could kill,' she thought to herself. 'I would have been dead a long time ago.'

"Um…" Running Buck's voice broke through her train of thought. "If you would like to take a bath before breakfast, we could go down to the river. It's not that far." Rebecca thought that he looked a little odd suggesting that they could go down to the river to take a bath. Maybe he was just a little shy. They had known each other for many months now, but things were still a little unclear between them and Rebecca had no idea what would happen next.

"I would like that," Rebecca replied to his question and gave his hand a light squeeze to offer support and encouragement. For a few moments he looked down on their hands linked together before he started to lead the way to the river. She liked walking with him like that as he told little stories of him and his brother and the games they had played around the village when they were younger. The more he talked the more Rebecca felt like she was learning to know him, and the more safe she felt.

"Did you really fall on the prickly pears?" she asked, trying her best to hold back the giggle attempting to escape.

"It wasn't funny," said Buck and put on his best pout and sad puppy dog eyes. "Alright, maybe a little." There was a bright smile on his face. "It wasn't fun at the time, but I can laugh about it now."

"That's good," said Rebecca as she stepped under the willow tree which stood on the bank of the river. "My father used to say that it's always important to be able to laugh at one self."

Running Buck smiled and nodded as he sat down, leaning his back against the trunk of the willow tree. Rebecca sat down next to him and smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder. She was still tired after everything that happened to her combined with all the worries that now consumed her spirit.

Swallowing, Running Buck wasn't sure if he should put his arms around her, but reasoned that they had slept on the same sleeping mat, holding each other last night so there wasn't anything that would suggest that he shouldn't hold her now. She seemed to like it as she looked up at him and smiled.

"Running Buck, there's something we need to talk about." With graceful motions she placed her hand over the one that rested on her shoulder. She hadn't meant to sound so rash, the words had just escaped her lips before she had a chance to even think them through.

"Sure," said Running Buck and Rebecca could feel that his body tensing.

Rebecca hated to pull away from him, but she wanted to look him in the eye as she told him what she had to say. Thoughtfully she chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about which words she was going to say and in which order she should put them. She would only have one chance to say this and she didn't want to mess it up.

"There have been a lot of changes lately," she said in a soft voice as one of her hands reached up to cup his cheek. "For two years I have been living alone and then you came into my life." She smiled at that. "I used to think that I didn't need the company of other humans, but that was before I met you."

"I'm glad I met you," said Running Buck and felt his heart swelling with pride at her words. She used to think that she didn't need the company of humans, but that was before she met him. "I was so confused before I met you," he admitted as she leaned into her touch. "I was struggling with everything that was expected of me. Now I'm finding peace."

"Yes," agreed Rebecca. "I'm finding that as well. There's still much that worries me though," she added as an afterthought.

"Would you like to talk about it?" asked Running Buck. "Maybe I could help you." Rebecca looked up at him, her eyes starting to tear up. She didn't know how to tell him of her worries. He had never been anything but good to her. "Rebecca, please don't cry." He hugged her close and let his hand move over her hair like he was comforting a child with a scabbed knee.

"I'm sorry," Rebecca mumbled into his chest. "I want to tell you what's going on, but I'm just not sure if I can find the words."

"You won't know until you've tried," prodded Running Buck, gently trying to coax her into telling him what was going on and what was making her cry.

Taking a deep, but shaky breath, Rebecca willed her body to relax. "I think there are only three people who like me here; you, Red Bear and your mother." When Running Buck didn't respond she huddled closer to him and buried her head in his loose hair. "I think I like you, but I don't know if I can stay in the village when everybody's looking at me like I have two heads and don't even try to hide the fact that they would rather have me … someplace else." She had wanted to say dead, but she couldn't use that word when speaking to Running Buck.

Smoothing her hair over her head, Running Buck thought about her words. As they had stepped out of the teepee he too had seen the looks they were giving her – them. He had especially noticed the looked that Little Sparrow had given them. "I never meant for things to be this difficult for you – for us. If there was something I could do that would turn back time so that I would be able…"

"No," said Rebecca as she pulled back and looked up at him with wet eyes. "I wouldn't change getting to know you for anything in the world. I didn't mean to lay all this on you like I'm doing."

Running Buck shook his head. "You're not laying anything on me." He gave her a small smile. "I care about you, and you take care of the people you care about. That's just how it is. If there's something that's bothering you; like now, I want for you to trust me enough to talk to me about it so that we can sort it out – together." He reached out and took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze.

"Together seems like a good thing," said Rebecca, smiling through her tears. "I'm sorry, I don't usually cry this much."

"It's alright. A lot of things have happened lately and sometimes I think that the spirit needs to catch up with the body. Does that make sense?"

"Perfect sense. I think that is exactly how I feel." The blush rose to her cheeks as the soft words escaped her lips. "A lot of things happened yesterday. I never thought I would escape those men that you and Red Bear saved me from. I never thought that I would see your village and the place you grew up. It's like you said, the spirit needed to catch up with my body."

"Well, it isn't my village. I don't own it, it belongs to everyone who lives here," said Running Buck in a firm voice. "I glad I was able to show you the place I grew up, even though how you came here was sort of rushed. This village means a lot to me and … you mean a lot to me as well."

"You mean a lot to me as well." At her admission, the few simple words she had been long and searching for, Running Buck brushed a stray lock of wavy red hair away from her face. Without meaning to, he brushed his fingers against her cheek which had been bruised when she stumbled and fell the day before. Rebecca didn't want to, she even fought it, but she couldn't help but to wince in pain.

"I'm sorry," muttered Buck as he pulled away from her. "I didn't mean to hurt you." He didn't dare meet her eyes as he spoke.

"Running Buck, why did you pull away from me? You didn't hurt me." She moved towards him, but he kept moving away from her. "Running Buck," her voice was sterner now. "Don't move away from me like that. You didn't hurt me. The bruises will heal and then you can touch my face all you want."

Running Buck stopped dead in his tracks at her words. Had she really meant what she said? Swallowing hard, he was pretty sure that his heart had skipped more than just one beat.

At seeing the confused look on his face, Rebecca moved towards him with careful motions. The last thing she wanted was to scare him. Slowly reaching out she touched his cheek, her thumb stroking his high cheekbone. She didn't stop that one simple motion before she was certain his body and spirit had calmed down. Sitting right in front of him, she leaned in and placed a light kiss on his lips. The kiss was simple and laced with youthful awkwardness, but Rebecca was sure there were sparks flying between the two of them.

When the kiss ended Rebecca felt that something had left her. If she was able to she would never stop kissing him, not even stop to breathe. The two looked at each other, completely enchanted.

Running Buck had a feeling that as long as he had Rebecca at his side he would be able to do anything. Unfortunately for the two of them, the enchantment was broken by Strong Buffalo as the older man pulled some on the willow's vines away, making a door in the tent that Running Buck and Rebecca had created.

"The morning meal is prepared and ready," he said, and Running Buck was unable to judge the expression on his face. He was sure that by the looks on their faces, it was obvious what had happened between him and Rebecca just moments before. He was about to answer, but Strong Buffalo was already heading back to the village.

"We should get going," Running Buck told Rebecca as he took her hand in his. Giving her a light kiss on her lips he rose to his feet and helped her up as well. "The morning meal is ready."

"Alright," Rebecca replied. "I guess that I could take that bath later." Momentarily she looked down at their hands linked together. She had no idea about how customs were among the Kiowa, but where she was from one should not take a bath in front of a man. "I guess we should go eat…" The strange silence between them was deafening and she needed to change the subject.

Sitting down outside their home Morning Sun gave one bowl of food to Rebecca and another to her son. Rebecca thought that Running Buck's father, she was pretty sue his name was Strong Buffalo, had changed from how he was when she had arrived yesterday. Rebecca thought that she looked at him in a different way. Not wanting to cause any problems she kept her eyes on her food.


	8. Chapter 8

It was difficult for her to come to terms with, but she wouldn't be able to go back to the farm she had inherited from her father after his death two years prior. It would be too difficult to do so, going back and not be with Running Buck, seeing the bodies of the men that he and Red Bear had killed to protect her. Her home was in the village now. She had no idea what would happen tomorrow, or even later today, but right now her home was in the village with Running Buck and his family.

Seeing that Morning Sun was beginning to prepare to do the dishes, Rebecca took a deep breath to gather courage. "Can I help you?" she asked with a shy smile.

"That would be nice," answered Morning Sun. "Help is always good. Why don't we go down to the river and get started. Together the two women walked towards the place by the river where the dishes were washed. Rebecca was a little unsure what she was going to do, her grasp of the language, even though Running Buck had been a good teacher, was still lacking. He had been teaching her some of the sign language as well, so she figured that she would be alright. With a small smile on her face she took one of the dishes and dipped in the water.

"You're good for my son," Morning Sun said as she sat down next to Rebecca and washed out another bowl. "He's happy."

Rebecca smiled at her words. "I think he's good for me too."

"Then you are good for each other and that is what counts." Rebecca nodded in agreement. Uncertainties about her relationship with Running Buck still simmered around in her head and she still wasn't sure where it would head. She didn't know enough about how the Kiowa culture dealt with relationships. There was a feeling coming from her heart that told her that she and Running Buck would make it in the end.

Scrubbing the last bowl, Rebecca came to the conclusion that she would do her best to learn as much as she could about Running Buck and the way that his people lived. Helping Morning Sun had been the first step and even though she still had a long way to go she was on her way to becoming a member of the village.

Rebecca looked up from where she was sitting by the river when Running Buck and his father came up to them. A bright smile came to Running Buck's lips when he saw that Rebecca was with his mother. "Hey," he said as he sat down next to her. With a slight touch he brushed her hair away from her face. "My father would like to talk with the four of us together."

Nodding, Rebecca leaned into his touch. "Alright," she said. She wanted to talk with him alone, tell him that she was willing to try to make their relationship work.

"We should go to our teepee," said Strong Buffalo as he noticed the sweet touch between his son and the woman he had chosen to love. His usually stern lips curved into a smile. The small family walked back to the village. Both Strong Buffalo and Morning Sun noticed the two youngsters holding hands and giving each other shy smiles when they thought the adults weren't looking.

Sitting down on the floor where their sleeping mats had been just moments earlier. Running Buck sat down next to Rebecca, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He wasn't sure what his father was going to say. The only thing he had been told was that his father wanted them all to talk.

"Running Buck … Rebecca…" Strong Buffalo looked from his son to the woman he loved. He hadn't seen it at first, but the two youngsters did look good together and it was obvious that they cared a great deal about each other. Strong Buffalo had always had a hard time admitting when he had been wrong, and this was one of them. He would have preferred that Running Buck had chosen one of the maidens from the village, but when push came to shove, this was Running Buck's decision and his alone.

"Father…" said Running Buck as he took Rebecca's hand in his. He would be ready to defend them and their relationship no matter what happened.

"Yes," said Strong Buffalo as he swallowed. "Lately there have been a lot of changes happening in this family. A lot of changes that I did not expect, and I would be a liar if I said that they did not bother me."

Running Buck was about to open his mouth to defend Rebecca and himself, but his father held up a hand to stop him.

"Please, don't interrupt me, son." Running Buck stopped looking at his father and instead turned his gaze to his lap. "What I am trying to say is that I approve of the match between the two of you." Running Buck let out a sigh in relief and smiled at Rebecca. She looked from Running Buck to his father and back, not understanding the older man's words. Running Buck quickly translated them for her and she too smiled. "That does not mean though that you will get the approval of the village."

"I know," said Running Buck, the smile plastered on his face. He gave Rebecca's hand a light squeeze, feeling that things were finally beginning to sort themselves out.

xXx

After the talk with Running Buck's father, Rebecca wondered if there were something she would be able to help Morning Sun with around the village. She wanted to help out and to be a member of the family. Even though she knew that she was accepted, she still wanted to prove herself and learn about the Kiowa way of life. Morning Sun had told her that she should spend the day with Running Buck and that both were excused from their duties.

Hand in hand they walked hand in hand back towards the river where they had shared their first real kiss earlier that very same time. A slight blush came to her cheeks as she thought about it.

"Running Buck," she said as she had removed her shoes and socks, dipping her feet in the water. "I'm happy that we're accepted by your mother and your father. It really means a lot to me that they accept me … and us."

Running Buck nodded as he too put his feet in the water. He thought it was nice to sit here like this and spend time together. They had the whole day off, which meant that he had a whole day to spend with Rebecca, getting to know her better. Even though they had known each other for many moons already, Running Buck felt that he still didn't know everything about her.

"I'm also happy that we're accepted. I was worried about what my parents might think of you." He wanted to say something else, but he couldn't find the right words to express them.

"Because I'm white and you're not?" she asked. Running Buck nodded. It seemed that Rebecca had found the words he was searching for, for him.

"Yeah," he said. "You're the first white person who has come to live in the village."

"Will that be a problem?" asked Rebecca. She knew that it would be a difficult conversation, but she also knew that it was one that they needed to take.

"Probably," said Running Buck, "but it will be a little bit easier because my parents accept both you and us being together. In this village and most others as well, white people are considered to be … bad medicine."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that white people are considered the enemy, trying to take our land and our way of life away from us." As he spoke the words, Running Buck had a hard time meeting her eyes.

"Running Buck, not all white people are like that." She reached out to touch his cheek. "I'm not like that."

"I know," said Running Buck, leaning into the touch. "You're not like that, but that won't stop the others from thinking it. There will be a long road ahead of us."

"I know." A small smile came to her lips. "Then again, it is very rare that the easiest road is the correct one." A bright smile came to Running Buck's lips at her words.

"Rebecca, I'm glad that I found you that day." He leaned in and placed a light kiss on her lips. Rebecca moved her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. When they heard a shriek they pulled apart.

"Little Sparrow, what are you doing here?"


	9. Chapter 9

Little Sparrow's eyes narrowed as she looked at the two young lovers. Seeing her Running Buck kiss the white girl who had moved into the village made her wonder what she did that was wrong with her. Why had Running Buck chosen to be with an outsider when the two of them had known each other since they were children?

This white girl would never have a place in the village. White people were the enemy; hadn't they all been taught that as children? Especially Running Buck seeing as his father was the warrior chief. Not to mention that Running Buck had been training to become a warrior – one who would protect the village, their home from all outside threats.

After Running Buck and her had broken off, Little Sparrow, like everybody else had noticed that almost everyday he had been sneaking away instead of training with the other young men. Everybody had wondered about where Running Buck was going, but on Strong Buffalo's command no one had been allowed to follow him. Her broken young heart had hoped that Running Buck had been going off on his own because he wanted some time to think about the relationship that the two had shared, but now Little Sparrow knew better. Running Buck hadn't been thinking about her at all, he had been seeing the white girl and now she had moved into the village.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she came to the realization; she had been thinking about Running Buck all the time, while he hadn't been thinking about her at all. He had been seeing someone who was barely even human.

"Little Sparrow…" Running Buck took a careful step towards her. Seeing her tears he knew that he had somehow hurt her, though he couldn't at the top of his head figure out what it was. Their short courtship had ended months ago and he was pretty sure that he had made it clear that he didn't love her the way that a man should love a woman. The two were friends and that was it.

"No," said Little Sparrow. "Don't look at me with pity. You made your bed and now you have to sleep in it as well." Seeing the confused white girl standing next to the man she loved, Little Sparrow spat her in the face. "You whore. You don't deserve Running Buck. You should be killed so that you won't tell your people where the village is so they won't come to the village to massacre us."

"Little Sparrow, that was uncalled for!" called Running Buck, making his voice as big and booming as possible. From this moment on, he had lost all respect for his childhood friend. "Haven't you ever been taught to treat people with respect?" He watched as Little Sparrow turned on her heel and walked away.

Taking a deep breath and swallowing hard, Running Buck turned to Rebecca who was using the sleeve of her blouse to rub the saliva away from her face. "Are you alright?" he asked in a soft voice. He wanted to say something else, something which would make everything alright, but there was really nothing to say. He didn't have the ability to make bad experiences go away.

"I think so," answered Rebecca as she knelt down by the rivers edge to wash her face and hands. "Why did she spit on me like that?" she asked as Running Buck sat down next to her.

"I've never done anything to hurt her and she was talking so fast that I couldn't catch half of her words.

Running Buck reached out and pushed a damp lock of hair away from her face and then pulled her close. "You've never hurt her, but I have."

Rebecca looked up at him with disbelief in her eyes. She had a hard time believing that

Running Buck would never hurt anyone. He had always been such a kind and gentle spirit.

"What happened?" She chewed on the inside of her cheek. What she had meant to ask was if he wanted to talk about what had happened between him and the girl, but after having been spat on she felt that she had a right to know.

"It's a long story," said Running Buck with a sigh. "It all happened before we met." He pulled Rebecca closer to him so that she was resting her head on his shoulder. He knew that he had to choose his words carefully or else he would probably scare Rebecca away from him forever. "I am of the age when young men are supposed to marry," he said. "Little Sparrow, that's her name, she and I have been friends since we were children. At the time I didn't feel particularly like an adult and I didn't know how a husband was supposed to feel for a wife. This I confided in to Little Sparrow. She suggested that we could try it out. At the moment I was so confused that I didn't really thought about the consequences of what I was getting myself into. It wasn't until later that I realized that I didn't feel for Little Sparrow the way that she was hoping I would."

"So you broke it off with her?"

Running Buck nodded. "She didn't take it very well."

Rebecca looked up at his face. She could both hear and see that it had been difficult for

Running Buck to tell the story of what happened between him and Little Sparrow. She

didn't know if it would be right for her to prod more, but there was one more thing that she needed to know. "Did this happen before you and me…"

"I had seen you once, by the river." Running Buck knew how that sounded so he hurried to add. "That day I had been talking to Red Bear and he said that I had been leading Little Sparrow behind the light. That I wasn't being fair to neither her nor me." That wasn't quite the answer she had been hoping for. A part of her immediately thought that she had been the wedge that had come between Running Buck and Little Sparrow, though at a second glance, she knew from Running Buck's words that there had never been anything other than friendship between the two.

"Running Buck," she said in a soft voice.

"Yeah."

"I care about you a great deal. I just wanted you to know that."

Placing a light kiss on the top of her head, Running Buck smiled. "I care a lot about you, too."

xXx

They both knew that they had the day off, but it was when the sun was high in the sky that Running Buck and Rebecca walked back towards the village. It was time to have lunch. Rebecca hoped that she would be able to help Morning Sun and learn more about the Kiowa way of life. She was so glad that she and Running Buck had been able to talk, really talk, about what they wanted to do next.

They had agreed that they would take it a little slow. They wanted to wait for Rebecca to be accepted as a member of the village before they did anything else. They both carried an unvoiced fear that this wouldn't happen, though at the same time, they both they couldn't give up hope just because they would face difficulties.

"There you are," said Morning Sun as she gave both Rebecca and Running Buck a hug at the same time. Rebecca thought that maybe she had heard about what happened earlier by the river, though she decided that she wasn't going to say anything. "It's time to eat. Sit down now." She herded the youngsters to sit down outside.

They ate in silence, but Running Buck and Rebecca kept stealing glances at each other. After the meal had been consumed, Morning Sun pulled Rebecca aside. "I have something for you," she said and led the younger woman into the teepee. Rebecca looked after Running buck, who just nodded encouragingly.

Morning Sun motioned for Rebecca to sit down as she rummaged though a small pile of hides placed against the wall. "You are a part of the family now so I wanted to give you this." At the sight of the doeskin dress Morning Dove held up for her to see, Rebecca gasped and placed her hands in front of her mouth. She had never seen a more beautiful dress.

"Is this really for me?" she asked, not sure if she believed her own eyes.

"Try it on, and then I will help you braid your hair. You will look beautiful." Rebecca held the dress up to her form and a smile grew on her face. "The dress is beautiful, thank you." Before she moved to change into it, she gave Morning Sun a big hug.

"You're welcome. Now try it on and let's see how beautiful you'll be in it." Rebecca quickly removed the dress she had been wearing for the last two days. Pulling the doeskin dress over her head, Rebecca looked down on her own body. The dress she was wearing hugged her body differently than the way her usual dress did and she liked it. It was looser and she felt freer wearing them.

"How you I look?" asked Rebecca as she twirled once on the ground.

"Beautiful," smiled Morning Sun. "Now let me braid your hair."

xXx

Running Buck stood in the middle of the river and watched for fish he would catch for dinner. There was a smile on his face as he thought about what had happened in the last couple of days. Rebecca moving to the village was most likely one of the best things that could have happened to her. Thinking back, Running Buck was happy he had come across Rebecca by the river and later approached her.

"Drats!" Running Buck muttered as he had been deep in thought that he hadn't noticed the fish swimming between his legs. "You're lucky today," he told the fish.

"Running Buck…" He looked up to see Rebecca standing on the edge of the river.

"Rebecca…?" He could practically feel his jaw land in the water. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah," said Rebecca. "Last time I checked. It was a gift from your mother."

"You look beautiful," Running Buck said as he walked out of the water. He had never seen Rebecca look like this before. Swallowing hard, he reached out to touch her cheek. He had often caught himself wondering what Rebecca would look like in a doeskin dress like the one she was wearing right now.

At seeing the somewhat strange look on her face, Running Buck pulled away. "Is something wrong?" he asked. After a couple of moments, Rebecca shook her head.

"I'm just happy," said Rebecca as she reached up to pull one hand through his hair. "I'm glad you and I found each other." The two stepped closer to each other and they looked each other in the eyes. They were completely mesmerized by each other, with slow determined steps, closing the distance between them.

"Did you hear that?" asked Rebecca as she pulled away from Buck and looked around at her surroundings.

"Hear what?" He closed the distance between them. Running Buck looked around, trying to see whatever it was that Rebecca had seen. "I didn't hear anything." His brother had once told him that he would be able to hear a rabbit breathe 100 feet away, but it seemed that Rebecca had outdone him.

"I don't know what it was," she said as she touched his upper arm so that he wouldn't talk. "It was something that I can't rightly explain. It isn't what I hear so much as I have a bad feeling. Come." She took his hand in her and pulled him towards where she thought she had heard something as well as in the direction where her gut told her to do.

Putting her index finger over her lips, she told him not to say anything. Running Buck nodded. Now he too heard what Rebecca had heard some moments before. His heart fell into the pit of his stomach as his gut told him what they were about to walk in on.

"Rebecca, I think that you maybe should…" A part of him didn't want to tell her what was going on, but Rebecca shook her head.

"No, I want to be here. I don't want you to be alone."

Running Buck knew that he couldn't argue with Rebecca, especially when she had that stubborn look on her face. She was determined that she would go with him and there wouldn't be any way in which he could stop her.

"Little Sparrow," gasped Running Buck as he moved some shrubbery away to get a better look at what was going on.


	10. Chapter 10

Slowly, the trio made their way back to the village. Neither of them said anything. There was nothing that needed to be said. There was an unspoken agreement between them. Little Sparrow walked in between Running Buck and Rebecca, each supporting her by holding their arms around her shoulders.

Running Buck had to fight hard to prevent tears from falling from his eyes. He knew that he had to be strong now, for Little Sparrow's sake. He also knew that they would have a lot of explaining to do once they got back to the village, and even though Little Sparrow knew how to speak for herself, they had a feeling that this would be difficult for her.

As they approached the village, Little Sparrow heard the voice of her parents. She stopped and hesitated, looking from Running Buck to Rebecca and back. Swallowing hard she could feel that her body froze and everybody eyes were on her. She didn't want people to look at her. She didn't want the attention. Her mother and father approached her and she moved to hug them, hiding herself between them.

Little Sparrow's father lifter her daughter and carried her to the lodge of the medicine man. Both parents cried as they walked.

With slow, nervous motions, Running Buck and Rebecca reached out to hold the other one's hands. Neither of them knew what they were going to do now. They, as well as Little Sparrow were the only ones who know what had happened. As Little Sparrow was taken to the Medicine man's lodge, all eyes were on them.

"What happened?" asked Strong Buffalo as he approached his son and Rebecca. Running Buck swallowed hard. He wasn't sure if he should say anything in front of the entire village. It was Little Sparrow's story to tell and if she didn't want the whole village to know, that was her right to decide.

"Can we talk inside?" asked Running Buck in a soft voice. He was so nervous that he clutched Rebecca's hand so hard that it hurt her. She didn't show it though. Her mind was occupied with other things. Taking a deep breath and feeling the eyes of the whole village on him, he nodded in a calm and determined motion. Together with Morning Sun, the four of them walked into the teepee.

Sitting down on the sleeping mats, Running Buck looked from Rebecca to his parents and back. Rebecca gave him a sad, but encouraging smile. She didn't know what to say. So many things had happened and she was at a loss for words. If she was going to say anything, she wouldn't even know where to begin.

"It was Rebecca who first noticed that something was wrong," Running Buck started and squeezed her hand. He looked at her with love in his eyes. Every day he learned something new about her and today he had learned that she was able to sense things that he wasn't able to. "She had a gut feeling … thought she heard something. I didn't hear anything. She has a gift."

Strong Buffalo nodded. His respect for Rebecca continued to grow. Running Buck hadn't made a 'traditional choice' in who to love, but the two were good for each other. He had a deep regret for not seeing that to begin with. Looking at his wife, he admired her wisdom and her ability to see the bigger picture.

"We followed what Rebecca heard and that was where we found Little Sparrow. She was being beaten by two white men…" It was obvious that Running Buck wanted to tell more, but with a shallow, shaking breath, he was no longer able to keep himself collected and a lone tear made its way down his cheek.

"They were beating her," started Rebecca as she moved closer to Running Buck. "I think … fear that they were about to – hurt her…" She felt clumsy, she had learned much of the Kiowa language, but she didn't know if she was making herself understood.

"Running Buck killed them. They won't hurt anybody else."

"I must thank you then," said Strong Buffalo, looking at Rebecca. "You saved her life. You are a good woman."

"Yes you are," said Morning Sun, pride showing on her face.

xXx

That evening, Running Buck and Rebecca lay in each others arms. After they had brought Little Sparrow back to the village, and talked to Strong Buffalo about what had happened, neither of them had left the teepee. They wanted to be together and neither of them wanted to answer more question outside of what they had told Strong Buffalo.

Now evening had fallen and they should have been asleep a long time ago. Neither of them was able. For the first time in her life, she had been faced with what the Indians faced on a daily basis. She didn't want to think about what would have happened to Little Sparrow if she and Running Buck hadn't come upon her when they had.

For a moment, closing her eyes, Rebecca thought she knew the reason why things like this happened. Her father had once told her that a story had a tendency to grow bigger than what they were to begin after it had passed through enough mouths. The same thing had happened to Indians in the white world and the other way around. If she hadn't met Running Buck when she had she would probably never had made that connection. Change need to happen, and in her quiet mind she thought that it should begin with her. "Running Buck, I love you. I just wanted you to know that."

"I love you, too," said Running Buck and lightly kissed her forehead. With his arms around her, he held Rebecca close. "There will be a long and difficult road ahead of us. Some people might not like that we're…"

"A white girl seeing and Indian," Rebecca finished for him. "And the other way around."

"Yeah," Running buck nodded. "It will be difficult."

Are you … are you willing to … um … take a chance."

"I think so," said Rebecca as she nuzzled her face in the small nook where his shoulder and neck met. She paused at how her words sounded. "I'm willing to try," she finished. It was getting late, and she had to fight back a yawn.

"Sleep now," murmured Running Buck and used his fingers to comb through her hair. "I'll look after you and nothing bad will happen to you so long as I'm around."

"Thank you," smiled Rebecca. "And I'll look after you too. Nothing bad will happen to you so long as I'm around."

As the gentle rays of dawn came upon them, Rebecca awoke and noticed that she and

Running Buck were the only one in the teepee. A sense of peace came over her as her eyes slowly closed and she pulled the hide over herself and Running Buck. Deep in the back of her mind she knew that the day would begin soon enough, but she just wasn't ready – she only wanted a few more moments of complete and utter peace.

"You're awake?" asked Running Buck as he held her close.

"Sort of," mumbled Rebecca. "I don't want to start the day just yet."

"Know the feeling," Running Buck answered and placed a light kiss on her forehead. "For now we can stay right where we are."

"Little Sparrow would like to speak to you," said Morning Sun, her voice breaking through the soft murmurs of the two young people in love.

"Little Sparrow?" asked Rebecca as she sat up and reached for the dress Morning Sun had given her the day before. "Is she alright?"

"She will be," said Morning Sun as she handed Rebecca a bowl of broth for breakfast. "She needs to heal. I looked in on her this morning and she asked to speak to you."

xXx

Rebecca entered the teepee where Little Sparrow rested. She swallowed hard as she was faced with what really happened with Little Sparrow the day before. The girl rested on the pallet made of buffalo hides, her face showed evidence of bruises and lacerations. The two young women looked at each other, neither of them saying anything.

"Um … Morning Sun said that you wanted to speak to me," Rebecca said in a careful voice. She needed to break the silence or else she would go mad.

"Yes," said Little Sparrow and their eyes met. "Sit down." Rebecca did as she was asked and sat down next to the pallet.

"Morning Sun … she said that you were the one who first felt that something was wrong. I wanted to thank you for that. You know what would have happened if you … and Running Buck hadn't showed up when then you did…" None of them needed to say what would have happened.

Little Sparrow coughed and Rebecca held a water skin to her lips.

"Thank you…" said Little Sparrow. "Rebecca … I'm sorry about what I said and did to you earlier…"

"It's alright," said Rebecca and put the water skin aside. "I didn't know what had happened between you and Running Buck. He feels really bad about it. He never meant to…"

"He did what he thought was expected of him. I … I did the same. We've been friends since we were kids. Maybe it wasn't meant to be something else." Little Sparrow swallowed. Admitting this was difficult for her. "You two … you look good together. Be happy."

"We will," said Rebecca, a soft smile making its way to her lips.


	11. Chapter 11

The last thing Little Sparrow wanted right now was all the attention she was receiving. Today was the first day she had been allowed to walk outside the medicine man's lodge and everybody wanted to know what she was thinking, going off on her own. They also asked if she knew what would have happened if Running Buck and Rebecca hadn't come upon her when they had. She knew the answer to that question, she just didn't want to explain to everyone what was going on inside her head. She knew she had been foolish to go off on her own. Wasn't that explanation enough?

Now, in an effort to get away from everything she was doing exactly the same thing that had gotten her in trouble the first time. She silently promised herself that she wouldn't go as far as she had last time; she just needed some time to catch her breath. When she had first been told the news that she would be able to go outside, she had been thrilled. Just the thought of breathing fresh air made her want to jump for joy. The thrill had been short lived though; she had expected everything to go back to normal, like before she had been attacked. What she hadn't expected to be treated like she was the idiot she already knew she was.

Taking a deep breath, she walked to wards the river so she could take a bath. She hadn't been able to properly clean herself while having to stay inside. Right now, what she longed for, more than anything else, was a bath. She wanted to soak in the river, listen to the birds sing around her and not come out of the water until her skin was wrinkled and strange to the touch. Letting her hair dry in the soft breeze, Little Sparrow let her finger gently comb through it. It felt good to be alone, to not think, and to just be alive. Eyeing her reflection in the river brought her back to reality. Even though the swelling had gone down, the bruising was still evident on her face. The cut which was above her eyes would most likely leave a scar, a permanent reminder of her stupidity.

"Hello…" came from a voice behind her. Momentarily she feared that the voice came from someone who wanted to hurt her.

At the sound of the voice, Little Sparrow turned her head so fast that her neck hurt. Automatically one hand reached up to touch the back of her neck. When she recognized Running Buck's voice, she let out a breath of relief. The two of them had grown up together and the sound of his voice had always brought her comfort. Why had she been scared by it now?

"We're sorry. We didn't mean to startle you," said Running Buck as he stood a few feet away from her holding Rebecca's hand. Little Sparrow thought that he looked a little shy and a little bit like he was afraid to do anything wrong.

"It's alright. I've just been a little jumpy lately," said Little Sparrow as her breath calmed down to a normal rate.

"Is it alright if we sit down?" asked Rebecca. She had only actually spoken to Little Sparrow when they had been in the medicine man's teepee, but for some reason she felt closeness with the girl who had been Running Buck's childhood friend. She also hoped that a friendship would be able to grow between the two girls. Even though she had gained more respect with the other women in the village, Rebecca didn't feel like she had a best friend.

When Little Sparrow nodded, the two sat down on the river's edge. Rebecca promptly removed her light moccasins and put her feet in the water. Wiggling her toes, she smiled. Running Buck smiled, watching her for a few moments before he turned his attention to Little Sparrow.

"How … how are you doing?" asked Running Buck, the expression on his face told the two girls that he was searching for the right words, not wanting to say anything wrong.

"Better," Little Sparrow answered honestly as she pushed her hair away from her face, feeling more confident. Looking at Running Buck and Rebecca she could see how much the two belonged together. When Rebecca had first been brought to the village, the white girl with red hair hadn't exactly been popular, and Little Sparrow hated her more than the rest of the village put together.

She had loved Running Buck and when he had broken up with her without really giving her a reason, her heart had been crushed. More than anything she wanted revenge. After everything had happened with her being attacked by the white men and Running Buck and Rebecca had come to her rescue, and only then had she been able to see through her own anger and hate to see that Running Buck really was happy with Rebecca. It would be selfish for her to try and step between them. If she really cared about Running Buck, she should let him be happy and support him and his love for Rebecca.

"That's good. You're getting better," said Running Buck. He looked from Little Sparrow to Rebecca. "There's something that Rebecca and I would like to tell you," he said after the short silence which had appeared between the three. Rebecca looked up at him and Little Sparrow could see that it was with love in her eyes.

"What is it?" asked Little Sparrow, suddenly feeling a little nervous

"Rebecca and I have decided that we were going to get married." Running Buck looked from Little Sparrow to his fiancé. He and Rebecca had decided that they were going to tell Little Sparrow first, before anyone else because of the past that the two of them shared. It would be the best and the right thing.

"That's good," said Little Sparrow as the smile grew on her lips. "I'm happy for you." She reached out to hug them both at the same time. When the hug ended, she pulled back and looked – really looked – at the couple. "Rebecca. I know I've said it before, but I need to tell you again that I'm sorry about the way I treated you."

Rebecca shook her head and smiled. "Running Buck told me about what had happened between you two and about how things got a little out of hand. If I were you, I probably wouldn't be my favorite person either." She hoped that she was making sense. "I would like it if all three of us could be friends though?" she suggested.

"I'd like that," said Little Sparrow with a bright smile. "I'd like us being friends."

Running Buck watched the two young women as their friendship formed. Taking a deep breath, he knew that they had now worked through one obstacle and even though there were still many challenges that they needed to face, they were heading in the right direction. Placing his hands around Rebecca's shoulders he pulled her close into a hug. "I'm glad we're all friends now," he said.

Seeing the two young lovers, Little Sparrow felt proud to be their friend. The space in her which had once been filled with anger and hate was now filled with the feeling of friendship. Lightly touching her cheek, she could feel that the swelling had mostly gone down now, and hopefully things would get back to normal soon. Maybe when all the bruising had gone, everybody would treat her like nothing had happened again. Running Buck and Rebecca already did.

"Does it hurt?" asked Running Buck in a concerned voice. "I could ask my mother if there's something she can to do help. She knows much about what helps.

"Little Sparrow shook her head. "No. It doesn't hurt; it just feels a little stiff. It'll go away soon." A small smile came to her lips. "Thank you for asking about me. Not very many people have."

"Why not?" asked Rebecca. The moment after the words had left her mouth she felt like she should regret them. She shouldn't pry and she didn't want to ruin the relationship between her and Little Sparrow.

"Because…" started Little Sparrow. She wanted to tell Rebecca and Running Buck about what had happened, but the words got caught in her throat. She knew that they wouldn't judge her for the mistakes that she had made, but that didn't stop them being mistakes. Nor could telling them make her stop blaming herself. "I've done a lot of stupid things."

"Everybody makes mistakes," said Rebecca in a soft voice. "What matters is what you do with them. What you learn from them."

"That makes sense, I guess," said Little Sparrow. "I've learned that I shouldn't go off on my own and that I shouldn't stray too far away from the village. I was lucky that you two found me and helped me when you did."

"I'm glad we could be there to help," said Rebecca, feeling a little awkward. She felt that there was something Little Sparrow wanted to tell them, but she wasn't sure what it was. "You know if there's something you'd like to talk about, you can always come talk to me or Running Buck. That's what friends are for."

"Thank you." A small blush rose to Little Sparrow's cheeks. "You're both great friends." She paused for a short moment, needing to gather courage to tell them what she needed to tell. She couldn't hold her secrets to her self much longer. If she didn't tell anyone she was likely to explode. "It's sort of silly and sort of selfish," she started.

"We won't judge," said Rebecca, speaking for both her and Running Buck.

"I don't know if I should tell you," said Little Sparrow, not wanting to look at their faces. There was no way she would be able to turn back now, she had already said too much. "It's sort of…" She looked up at Running Buck and the gentle look on his face gave her the courage she needed. "I was jealous of what you and Rebecca had. I was starting to accept, but a part of me still hoped that something would happen that would lead Running Buck and me together. Seeing you and Rebecca … it hurt and I just had to get away. I must have walked further away from the village that what's safe. I didn't realize that before it was too late."

"That was how I first met Rebecca," Running Buck said in a soft voice, though Rebecca gave him a look that told him that he shouldn't continue down that path because this was about Little Sparrow and not the love he felt for Rebecca. "I'm sorry," he added.

"It's alright," said Little Sparrow. "Now that I've grown up a little more I'm glad that you and Rebecca found each other." She looked at Rebecca and smiled. "You are a much better match from Running Buck than I would ever be."

"Thank you," said Rebecca.

Little Sparrow paused and took a deep breath, preparing herself to tell the rest – and the most difficult part of the story. "I didn't know how far away from the village I had walked until I ran into the white men." Little Sparrow bit her lip and fought to be strong. "They wanted to have some … fun. If you hadn't come and found me then they would have gotten their way."

Rebecca reached out to hug her friend. "It's alright," she said in a soft voice. They won't hurt you any more. They're all gone now." Holding her friend close, Rebecca rubbed Little Sparrows back and moved her hand over her hair. "There, there … it will be alright." Over Little Sparrow's shoulder she looked at Running Buck, her eyes asking him to add to the conversation.

"Thank you," mumbled Little Sparrow into Rebecca's shoulder before Running Buck had a chance to say anything. Running Buck was grateful for that because he really didn't know what he was going to say that would bring comfort to Little Sparrow. He also felt that this was something that should be between Rebecca and Little Sparrow.

"It's really stupid," Little Sparrow continued, thought she pulled away from Rebecca's hug and wiped at her eyes. After, for the first time, admitting what had happened to her to Rebecca and Running Buck she felt better – like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

"Nothing stupid," said Rebecca. "There are just some things that are harder to figure out."

"That's a good way of seeing it," said Little Sparrow with a small smile.

"Rebecca's smart like that," Running Buck added. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Maybe later," said Little Sparrow. "For now, let's just enjoy the day."


	12. Chapter 12

Night had fallen, but Running Buck was unable to find sleep. He knew that dawn would come soon enough, and that the following day would be important, not just to him, but to Rebecca as well. With his hands above his head, he let out the deep breath he didn't realize he had been holding. He tried to will himself to relax, but it didn't work. He was resting on the same sleeping mat he had always slept on though in the last couple of days it had felt different to the point that it rendered him unable to sleep. He knew what was wrong; Rebecca wasn't there next to him like she had been since she had moved to the village.

Ever since the young couple had announced their intention to get married, Running Buck and Rebecca lived in separate teepees. That was the proper way to go about it, but Running Buck absolutely hated it. Rebecca had stayed with his parents and he had moved in with Red Bear and his wife. Even though he saw Rebecca every day, he missed her in the evenings.

"Can't sleep little brother?" asked Red Bear as he sat up and looked at his younger brother from across the one-room teepee. Running Buck shook his head. "No wonder," Red Bear continued. "Tomorrow is a big day."

"Yes," said Running Buck and nodded. He too sat up and kept his eyes fixated on his lap. "Tomorrow is the big day." He wanted to say something else; he wanted to tell his brother what was going on inside his head, but the words got stuck in his throat.

"You looking forwards to the big day?" asked Red Bear and arched a brow. Running Buck looked up at his brother and smiled. "I guess that smile of yours is answer enough. You just need to remember that after tomorrow you'll begin on a new part of your life. Rebecca is a lucky girl to have found you, little brother."

"I'm lucky to have found her," corrected Running Buck.

"Then you're both lucky," smiled Red Bear.

"I guess we are." Running Buck swallowed and looked up at his brother. "Tomorrow, what do I do? I've seen weddings before, but I don't know how to do it. I'm looking forwards to it, but at the same time it's scary. What if I do something wrong?"

"You won't do anything wrong," said Red Bear with a cocky grin, "you get married and that's it."

"Stop teasing him," said Red Bear's wife, who had woken up by the two men talking, and swatted her husband's shoulder. "Running Buck, before Red Bear and I got married he was just as nervous as you are right now. It's completely natural when you're taking a great step towards becoming an adult."

"You were?" asked Running Buck and looked at his brother in disbelief. To Running Buck, his older brother had always seemed like the type of person who had everything under control and did all things with confidence and his head held high.

"Yes, I was nervous. Just the way you're nervous right now. Once your there though, that nervousness will disappear and you will have a great day. You will truly become an adult, but it is still important that you remember how to have fun and how to enjoy life."

"I will have to remember that," said Running Buck thoughtfully.

"I know so," answered Red Bear. "Now you need to get some sleep. It wouldn't be a good for Rebecca if you fall asleep standing up right in the middle of your wedding."

"I guess you're right about that." Running Buck let out a soft laugh. "That wouldn't be something I'd like to remember." Saying goodnight to his brother and his sister-in-law, Running Buck lay down on his sleeping mat, waiting for sleep to come.

"Remember to have fun," said Red Bear and winked at his brother.

The following morning, everything seemed to happen all at once and Running Buck eventually gave up trying to keep track of all the things around him. For the village a wedding was always a big deal as it would mean that the village had the opportunity to grow stronger and more powerful. Taking a few moments to sit down and think about what was going on, Running Buck counted himself lucky that the village had accepted Rebecca and the love that he had for her.

Today he and Rebecca would be joined together as proof of that love. Walking to the center of the village where the ceremony would be held, Running Buck held

his head high and his posture proud. The worry and nervousness about doing something wrong which he had had last night came back at full force. Feeling his father give him a small push at the small of his back, Running Buck took a couple of steps forwards. He stopped dead in his tracks though when he saw Rebecca standing with some of the other women in the village.

Rebecca was the most beautiful he had ever seen her. Running Buck couldn't describe what it was about her that was different from all the other times he had laid eyes on her. There was just something about – like a new glow he had never seen before. Feeling his jaw landing on the ground in front of him, Running Buck swallowed hard.

"You're right," Strong Buffalo said close to his ears. "Rebecca is a beautiful girl and you're going to marry her. Now step forward and make her proud to have chosen you as her husband."

At those words, Running Buck walked towards Rebecca and stopped next to her. "I love you," he mouthed.

Feeling the blue blanket being wrapped around his shoulders, representing his past life, the life he had had before he had met Rebecca, Running Buck felt his confidence rise and a smile appeared on his face. Rebecca was also being wrapped in a blue blanket similar to the one he was wrapped in. Walking towards one another, neither of them stopped before they were holding hands.

A crocked grin came to his lips and he noticed the glint in Rebecca's eyes. Both of the blue blankets they had been wrapped around them, representing everything which had happened in their past lives, fell to the ground and the Man of Dream wrapped a white blanket, representing the life in which they were about to embark on, around Running Buck and Rebecca.

xXx

Walking for the first time into the teepee that she, form now, would share with her husband, Rebecca felt a sudden bolt of nervousness come over her. The wedding itself had been gone easy enough once it had started. She had been told what to expect and what to do by Morning Sun. Now came the really difficult part; she was about to embark on his life together with Running Buck. She had lived in the village for some time now, but she still didn't understand everything that was going on.

"Rebecca," said Running Buck as he lightly touched her shoulder. "Are you alright? You look a little pale." A part of her hated the look of worry on his face. She didn't want him to worry about her. She had been on her own for a long time now.

"I'm alright," answered Rebecca, pulling him into a hug and wrapped the white blanket which they had been wrapped in earlier at the wedding ceremony around them. She enjoyed the symbolism that the white blanket represented. "I would be lying if I didn't tell you that I'm a little nervous." With a small smile on his lips he brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face.

"What are you nervous about?" Running Buck wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled down at him. "I'm sure we can figure it out together."

"I think I just figured it out," Rebecca smiled at placed a kiss on her lips. "The answer is working together."


	13. Chapter 13

Her relationship with Running Buck had only lasted for a short time, but it had affected her greatly. It had affected her more than it had affected Running Buck. What other reason would there be for Running Buck to leave her for the white girl, Rebecca. Little Sparrow knew that she would need her strength for today; it was her duty to tan the hides which the hunters had brought in. Usually, she didn't mind that particular task. The problem today was that it was also Rebecca's task.

Little Sparrow didn't know how she was going to make it through the day. Taking a deep breath, she gathered the courage she knew she would need to get through the day. She liked to think that she was perfectly fine with Running Buck and Rebecca being married. Running Buck had been the first man she had loved and that wasn't something she could easily forget. She had to give herself credit that she had tried to be friends with Rebecca, but now that she and Running Buck had gotten married, things had changed. Little Sparrow could no longer push back the feelings she had for Running Buck.

Taking another deep breath, Little Sparrow walked over to the place where hides were tanned.

"Good morning," said Rebecca as she smiled up at Little Sparrow. She thought that something was off in the way Little Sparrow looked at her and in the stiffness in which she moved.

"Morning," said Little Sparrow, sat down and started to work on one of the hides. The two young women worked in silence.

Rebecca thought that the silence was deafening and she wished that Running Buck was in the village. He would be able to think of something to break the tension that was going on between Little Sparrow and herself, but Running Buck was out training with his brother and wouldn't be back until later. Out of the corner of his eye, Rebecca could see that Little Sparrow worked on the hide with a vengeance. She wanted to say something to clear the air between them, but she didn't know what the right thing to say would be.

"Little Sparrow," said Rebecca in a soft voice. "Is something wrong?" She stopped what she was doing so she would be able to look at the young woman who she hoped was still her friend.

"No, nothing is wrong," said Little Sparrow. She didn't look up at Rebecca as she spoke, but kept her eyes firmly set on the hide she was working on. "I'm fine," she added for good measure. Rebecca swallowed. For a moment closing her eyes, she tried to place herself in Little Sparrow's shoes. She could only begin to imagine what was going on inside of her head. From what she had understood, Running Buck had been little Sparrow's first love. Something like that must be hard to get over. She didn't know what she would do if she lost Running Buck.

"Little Sparrow, I'm sorry about what happened, and for the way things happened. I never intended for it to be like this…" Rebecca paused to gather herself and to figure out what she was going to say next. It was difficult to find the right words to say to Little Sparrow as he knowledge of the Kiowa language was still a work in progress.

Little Sparrow looked up from what she was doing and fixed her eyes at Rebecca. "Then what did you intend for it to be like?"

"I'm not sure, I just want for us to get along without there being all this uncomfortable silence between us. I thought we were friends." She wanted to add 'even though I'm married to Running Buck' but she thought that would cause more harm than good.

"We are friends," said Little Sparrow in a curt voice before she turned back to tanning the hide.

Rebecca took a deep breath and had to fight with herself not to make a comment about Little Sparrow's behavior. She wanted, more than anything to say something that would break the ice and make it so that she and Little Sparrow would be able to get along. She also knew that the two must each take the steps needed and meet in the middle.

"That's good," said Rebecca with a somewhat tense smile on her face. "I'd like us being friends." She pushed a wayward lock of hair away from her face. "Being friends also means that if there's something that bothers you, you can come to talk to me about it." Rebecca hoped that she weren't being too forwards with Little Sparrow. She wanted her to be happy.

"When did you know that you loved Running Buck?" asked Little Sparrow. Both young women stopped working on the hides and sat back.

"I'm sure how to answer that," said Rebecca, as she gave the subject a lot of thought. She wanted to answer has honestly as she could, but at the same time she didn't want to say something that would hurt Little Sparrow's feelings. "I think a part of me always loved him, even when we were just friends. When I lived in the white world I lived alone. Running Buck came to help me everyday with the farm, our friendship grew into something more. It just felt natural."

Little Sparrow nodded as her thoughts mulled over the words Rebecca had just spoken. "I fear that I won't find anyone," she mumbled, thinking out loud.

"Of course you will," said Rebecca in a reassuring voice. "You're a beautiful young woman and any man would be a fool not to fall for you." She moved so that she was sitting closer to Little Sparrow.

Little Sparrow had a hard time fighting with her anger as she turned away from Rebecca. Why had she been fool enough to tell Running Buck' wife her deepest and darkest fear? Swallowing hard, she bit down on her lip so hard that she drew blood. Rebecca touched her shoulder and tried to give her a hug, but Little Sparrow made her body so tense, Rebecca felt like she was trying to move a rock.

"Little Sparrow," she said in a soft voice.

"Please, don't touch me." At those words Rebecca removed her hand and allowed both of them to rest in her lap. She didn't want to cause anymore harm.

"If you'd ever want to talk…" she said. She wanted to turn back to her task of tanning the hide, but she seemed unable to move. Rebecca felt like such a fool for thinking that a few words would change everything and make it so that her and Little Sparrow would be able to talk to one another.

"I'm still in love with Running Buck," said Little Sparrow, the words coming out louder than she had intended them to come. She had lost her patience with the silly white girl who had come to the village and ruined everything for her. What she had had with Running Buck had been a good thing; why had this Rebecca person come to destroy everything for her? Little Sparrow took a couple of deep breaths in a failed attempt to calm herself. Her fists were clenched at her sides, her knuckles turning white. "Running Buck left me for you, though I can't really understand what he sees in you. You're not Kiowa and you never will be."

Everybody in the village had stopped what they were doing to look at Little Sparrow's outburst. Rebecca both felt and looked small with Little Sparrow hovering over her. The other members of the village wondered at Little Sparrow's behavior as yelling at the top of her lungs wasn't like the young girl. They all stood frozen to the ground. Morning Sun was the first one to react as she stepped in between the two young women.

"Go home," she said to Little Sparrow in a harsh voice. "This is no way to treat another person. Go home and think about what you've done here." Not sparing Little Sparrow another moment of attention, Morning Sun knelt down next to Rebecca and held her arms around her shaking shoulders. "It's going to be alright," she told the young woman in a soft voice as she rocked her back and forth. "You won't have to listen to her any more."

The two women sat on the ground hugging each other close. Rebecca was no longer able to stay strong and allowed the tears to fall from her eyes. even though the other members of the village vent back to their normal duties, Morning Sun still thought that Rebecca and her needed some privacy as she knew the situation was difficult for the young woman.

"Let's go inside," she said close to Rebecca's ear and led her towards the teepee. Once inside Morning Sun draped a blanket over the young woman's shoulder before she sat down next to her.

"Did I really steal Running Buck from Little Sparrow?" asked Rebecca in a quivering voice.

"Of course you didn't," said Morning Sun in a reassuring voice. She put one arm around her daughter-in-law's shoulder and pulled her close. "It is true that my son and Little Sparrow were seeing each other for a short time. It was a difficult time for Running Buck; he thought he cared for her in way that was more than what friends care for each other, but he never loved her in the same way that he loves you."

Rebecca nodded at that and rested her head on the older woman's shoulder. She knew that she hadn't done anything to hurt Little Sparrow at least not intentionally, but she still felt like she had done something horrible towards the other woman.

"When Running Buck was seeing Little Sparrow he was doing what he thought was expected of him. Him and Little Sparrow have been friends since childhood and he thought that it would be natural for them to be together. It turned out that he was wrong in that because it was natural for him to be with you."

Rebecca swallowed and wiped at her eyes. Morning Sun's gentle words had lifted weight off of her shoulder and eased her spirit. She still felt heavy and she knew that there were still things that needed to be sorted out. Morning Sun's words had made her realize that she still had friends in the village regardless of what Little Sparrow thought of her.

xXx

Returning to the village with his brother, Running Buck longed to see his wife again. Even though he had only been away for one day, he missed Rebecca in the way that he would if he hadn't seen her for over a month. As the sun was starting to get low on the sky, Running Buck was getting more and more anxious to get home. Eventually Red Bear had just told him to go ahead and run home.

Entering the teepee which he now shared with Rebecca he was surprised to she that Rebecca had already lay down for the evening. He swallowed hard as a part of him had expected a different sort of welcome. Lying down next to her, Running Buck brushed a couple of red locks of hair away from her face. "Are you ill?" he asked in a worried voice after he had made sure that she was awake.

Rebecca shook her had and rolled over so that she and Running Buck were looking at each other. Taking a deep breath, she searched for the words she would use to tell him what had happened while he had been away. "It's just been a long day," she said in a soft voice as she placed a light kiss on his lips. "I didn't mean to worry you."

"Is there something you would like to talk about?" asked Running Buck as he pulled her close and Rebecca rested her head above his heart.

"I fought with Little Sparrow today," Rebecca mumbled. "She still loves you, and thinks that I stole you away from her."

"You didn't do any such thing," said Running Buck in a reassuring voice and placed a light kiss on the top of her head. "My heart has always belonged to you and you alone. It was yours the first time I saw you by the river."

Rebecca swallowed hard and moved so she was lying closer to her husband. "You were seeing her once though…"

Running Buck was silent at those words. He didn't know what he would say that would soothe his wife. He wanted to say the right thing. "I was," he said in a low voice. "But I never loved her; not the way I love you. I was young and a fool and I didn't realize that I was hurting Little Sparrow." He paused. "If you'd like I'll talk to her tomorrow."

Rebecca shook her head. "I have a feeling that will only make matters worse. That's how she and I started to fight today. I tried to talk to her about she had seemed to be avoiding us lately and from there things got out of control." She took a deep breath. "Give her a chance to calm down before you talk to her." The last thing she wanted was for there to be more conflict.

Curling up next to Running Buck, Rebecca placed a light kiss on his neck. "How was the training?" she asked, wanting to change the subject. She had spent all day thinking about Little Sparrow and now she didn't want to think about it any more.

"It was good," said Running Buck and sighed. "You sure know what you're doing with those lips of yours."


	14. Chapter 14

When Jimmy Hikock had agreed to go out on the posse with his boss, Teaspoon Hunter, he had never expected that it would end up like this. Unbeknownst to Teaspoon and Jimmy they had entered Kiowa land and had now been taken capture. The ropes were bound tightly around their wrists as they walked towards the Kiowa village. At first Jimmy had done his best to fight back, but as he did, the ropes only got tighter and tighter, cutting off the blood flow.

"Whatever you do," said Teaspoon as they entered the village. "Don't do anything stupid you'll regret later on."

"I won't," said Jimmy though gritted teeth as he looked around the Indian village. He had never in his life seen a place such as this before. All the houses – or rather teepee's looked the same, not like the houses in town. Everybody looked the same as well with long black hair and clothes made from leather.

There was one person who looked different; a white girl with golden red hair. If it weren't for the current predicament he would definitively see if she was available. A part of him didn't think she was due to the fact that she was standing pretty close to a young Indian about the same age as herself. Remember Teaspoon's words about not doing something he would later regret, Jimmy kept his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him.

Jimmy and Teaspoon were pulled into one of the teepees. They were forced down on the floor and tied to the pole in the middle of the one room tent-like structure.

"What are we going to do now?" asked Jimmy in a low voice.

"Now – we wait." said Teaspoon.

xXx

Running Buck saw the look on his wife's face when the two white prisoners were brought to the village. He had a feeling that it was difficult for her to see one of her own people taken capture like this. The situation reminded him of the differences between his own and Rebecca's upbringing.

"Are you alright?" he asked Rebecca as he pulled her away from the crowd which had gathered to see what was going on with the two white prisoner.

"Yeah," said Rebecca as she rested her head on her husband's shoulder. "What are they…" she searched for the right word. "taken here for?"

"They trespassed onto our land," said Running Buck. "They had to take them capture for safety reasons."

"I understand." Rebecca felt her husband's arms around her shoulders, holding her close. "It's for the safety of the village."

"Rebecca, are you alright?" Running Buck asked again. He still felt that there was something going on with his wife.

"Yeah, I never thought that I would see another white person again…"

It would be a difficult question, but Running Buck knew that he would have to ask it. "Did you … do you know them?" Rebecca shook her head.

"I've never seen them before." Rebecca swallowed and looked up at Running Buck. She wanted to do something to make it all better; to cease the worry she was seeing in his eyes. Placing a light kiss on his lips, she smiled up at him.

"Now what's going to happen now?"

"Most likely," said Running Buck. "Most likely they will be executed. They know where the village is and that can be dangerous for our people."

"Running Buck, I'm white too. Is it dangerous for me to know where the village is." Running Buck shook his head. "No, that's different," he said.

"How?" Rebecca placed her hands at her side and looked up at her husband with narrowed eyes and her hands at her hips.

"You have become respected in the village," said Running Buck as she reached out to touch her cheek. Rebecca moved away.

"And what prevents the two men who were just taken capture from becoming respected? If I remember correctly, I had to earn that respect."

"It's … it's just different."

Turning on her heel, Rebecca walked away.

Walking towards the river, Rebecca wasn't sure what she felt. All she knew was that she had to remove herself from the situation. Now, more than ever, she realized that she never really knew what she was getting herself into. She and Running Buck were different in so many ways and now they were all coming to the surface.

Sitting down, Rebecca looked at her reflection in the water. With one hand she wiped the tears away from her eyes. Usually, she was very strong and not prone to crying, but this had been her first fight with Running Buck and she didn't much feel like being strong. She and Running Buck had grown up with two completely different ways of life and Rebecca wasn't exactly sure how on earth they were going to merge that into their marriage.

A part of her couldn't help but to think that maybe she had rushed into things when she married Running Buck. There were things that they should have agreed to before they tied the knot. That was what the sensible part of her told her. The other part of her had been so in love with Running Buck that she wasn't thinking about the consequences of her actions.

"Rebecca," said Running Buck, his voice breaking through her thoughts. "Are you…" Rebecca turned around and looked at him. She swallowed hard and blinked the tears away. Even though she wanted to be honest, she didn't want him to see her cry. "Alright?" he finished.

"I don't know," said Rebecca. She looked down at her lap before their eyes met. "Would you like to sit down?" At the moment Running Buck was the last person she wanted to see, at the same time she didn't want to prolong the argument any more than what it needed. They needed to clear the air and it would be better to do it sooner rather than later. Running Buck nodded and sat down opposite Rebecca.

Running Buck bit his lip as he looked at his wife. "I'm sorry about before."

"I'm sorry too," said Rebecca as she reached out and took his hand in hers. "Sometimes I forget that I didn't grow up here, and that things are different in the white world than what they are here." Rebecca swallowed as he looked at Running Buck. "I couldn't help but to think that those two men, they hadn't really done anything other than being on the land."

"Yeah, things are different here … I guess." Running Buck gave Rebecca's hand a light squeeze. "Every day more white men come and every day our chances of survival grow slimmer and slimmer."

"Then why was I accepted in the village. "I am white."

"You proved that you are worthy of that respect."

"Then why can't they. Perhaps they didn't know that they were on Kiowa land?" Rebecca released the hold she had on Running Buck's hand and gesticulated in the air to make her point more clear.

"Their judgment will reflect that," said Running Buck as a matter of fact.

"And how will you find that out? You don't speak English and I'm pretty sure that they don't speak Kiowa." She arched her brow and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She knew that she had won this argument.

xXx

Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Little Sparrow hated what she was about to do. She didn't want to do. Ever since the day she had yelled at Rebecca she had lost much of the respect she had once had in the village. Too late she had learned that in some situations it was best to keep her mouth shut and not react with anger. Rebecca had gained the respect she had lost.

Now, Little Sparrow had been reduced to the most menial task in the village; feeding the white prisoners. When she had been told what she had been assigned to do, Little Sparrow's first instinct had told her she should respond with anger, but then she realized that she would not cause herself further indiscretions. She would do whatever task she had been assigned to with pride.

Having her head held high and her back straight as a well-made arrow, Little Sparrow opened the flap to the place where the two white prisoners were held. By the way their heads suddenly bolted up and looked at her, Little Sparrow guessed that they had been talking intensely about something. She froze at the way they were looking at her. Never in her life had she seen eyes this blue.

"I've come to bring you food," she said once she had regained her senses. They looked at her with confusion in their eyes and Little Sparrow realized that they didn't understand what she was saying. She held out the bowls of food and placed it on the floor in front of them.

Little Sparrow noticed that the younger of the two were looking at her with a strange look in his eyes. She wanted to say that it was creepy and that she didn't like white man looking at her, but there was curiosity in her voice more than anything else.

"Why are you so sad?" asked the younger man. Little Sparrow's eyes narrowed as she didn't understand the words. Confused, she shook her head and left the teepee. Once the Kiowa girl who had brought them food had left, Teaspoon looked at Jimmy with fire in his eyes. "I thought I told you specifically not to do anything stupid."

"What?" asked Jimmy, his voice revealing just how irritated he was with the situation. "I just asked her a question. It wasn't like she understood what I said."


	15. Chapter 15

Slowly opening his eyes, Running Buck noticed that the spot next to him where Rebecca usually slept was empty. Stretching and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he sat up and looked around him. Usually, he was the first to wake in the morning and he'd watch her sleep until she woke up. After their argument things had changed, it seemed that she no longer wanted to talk to him.

Last night, after Rebecca had fallen asleep, Running Buck had sat up and watched her sleep. She was sleeping with her back towards him and she hadn't even said goodnight. He didn't know what he would say to make it better.

"You're beautiful," he had said in a soft voice and with a sigh as he lay down next to her.

xXx

Sitting down by the river Rebecca brushed her hair. Looking down at her reflection, she noticed how much she had changed over the last couple of months. She thought that she looked more grown up than she had before. Not older, just more mature.

Her life had never been easy for her. Growing up, it had only been her and her father. Her mother had passed away not longer after she had been born. Her father had tried his best to raise her, though as she grew it was more her taking care of him. His gambling problem started to take up most of his time, leaving Rebecca to tend the farm. Her upbringing couldn't be compared to what the girls in town had with pretty dresses and things like that, but it had made her stronger and willing to work hard.

Thinking back, things had gotten better after he had met Running Buck. At first she had been a little unsure about all the changes which were suddenly appearing. She was used to being in control of her own life and making her own decisions. She had fought through her difficulties, survived and found a home in the village.

A home with Running Buck. Taking a deep breath, Rebecca knew that she had some difficult decisions ahead of her; especially with the newest discovery. Putting her hairbrush down, Rebecca started to braid her hair. She really liked the way that she looked when she braided her hair; she thought it made her face look soft. Right now she needed softness, as well as strength.

"Hey beautiful." Rebecca heard a voice say and she turned around to look at her husband.

Taking a deep breath, she wondered at what was going to happen next. She knew that they would have to work through their problems, she just didn't know where to start. "Would you like to sit down?" she asked in a soft voice. Running Buck nodded and sat down next to her. He reached out and took her hand in his. He stopped though as he didn't know what he was going to do next. This was the first time he had argued with Rebecca and he didn't know how to make it better.

"Rebecca," he started, but then stopped, biting the inside of his cheek. "I'm sorry about what's been going on. I want to make it better, but I'm not sure how to do it." Rebecca gave his hand a light squeeze.

"Thank you," she said and gave him a small smile. "There's something else that we need to talk about as well," she said. She looked him in the eye. She knew that there was no other way that she would be able to get it out. "I'm … we're … we're going to have a baby." The look of utter shock which came upon Running Buck's face told Rebecca that this wasn't something he had expected. To be honest, the pregnancy wasn't something she herself had expected, but she knew that they would have to work together. "Are you … alright?" The fact that he hadn't said anything worried her.

"Yeah…" said Running Buck after he had shaken his head and snapped out of the trance hehad fallen into. "I'm gonna be a dad…!" His voice had gone up an octave. A smile started to appear on his face. "I'm gonna be a dad." He reached out to touch her stomach, for the first time noticing the small mound there. "There a life that the two of us created growing in there?"

"There is," said Rebecca with a small smile, her worries fading. She placed one hand over his and their finger laced together. "There's a small life growing in there. That is also why we can't continue to argue like we have been over the last couple of days. It isn't healthy for us and it certainly isn't healthy for the baby."

"You're right," said Running Buck as he pulled her into a hug. The young lovers fell back in the grass and looked up at the clouds. "If you'd like I can talk to father and ask if it's alright for you to talk with the white prisoners. That way you can find out about why they were trespassing onto our land. You're the only one who would be able to understand them."

"I'd like that," said Rebecca as she rested her head on his shoulder. "I wonder about why they came here." A small smile came to her lips as she noticed Running Buck's hand resting on her stomach. Placing her own hand over his, she thought about the new life which was going to arrive in just a few months. "Running Buck," she spoke in a soft voice.

"Hmm," said Running Buck.

"I love you."

xXx

Taking a couple of deep breaths to gather her wits about her, Rebecca opened the flap-door to the prison. Over and over again, she had in her head gone through what she was going to say, but once she stood in front of them, her mind went blank. Their eyes were fixated on her and even though Rebecca knew that she had nothing to fear, worry crept over her.

"Why are you here?" she asked as she stood near the door. She hadn't meant to come off so harsh, but the words had escaped her lips before she had a chance to stop them.

"What do you mean?" asked the older of the men. He looked at her with worried eyes and it was obvious that he didn't trust her.

"Why have you captured us?" asked the younger. At hearing the question, Rebecca chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"Why have you come onto our lands?" she tried.

"My name is Teaspoon Hunter and I work as a marshal," said Teaspoon and looked from Rebecca to Jimmy. "This is Jimmy Hickok. He's my deputy. We were following outlaws when the Kiowa took us captive."

"Are you here against your own will?" asked Jimmy looking at the white woman standing before him.

"Jimmy…" hissed Teaspoon.

Rebecca smiled and shook her head. "I am here out of my own free will. If you are released then I ask of you to forget that you've ever seen a white woman in a Kiowa village. The Kiowa are my people as well and this is my home. I have found happiness here."

"We won't say anything," said Teaspoon in what he hoped was a reassuring voice. He didn't want Jimmy to say anything. He knew that the younger man was wise beyond his years, but he didn't always think before he opened in big mouth.

"Good," said Rebecca and let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. She had never seen the men before when she lived in the white world, but she knew that she would have to trust them. She didn't have a choice.

"What's going to happen next?" asked Teaspoon.

"The village leaders will decide," said Rebecca with a sigh as she sat down on the ground in front of Teaspoon and Jimmy. "Though most likely you will be executed."

"For what?" asked Jimmy, his eyes narrowing. "We haven't done anything wrong!"

"Keep your voice down," hissed Rebecca. "It is only because I am the war chief's son's wife that I'm allowed to speak with you. You wouldn't want me to no longer be allowed to speak with you."

"Why did you marry an Indian?" asked Jimmy.

"I fell in love, now keep your mouth shut," said Rebecca. "I will put in a good word for you, explain to the leaders that you were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, but I can't promise you anything."

Teaspoon nodded. Jimmy, not liking having been told off, slumped against the pole he had been tied to. He had a sinking feeling that neither he nor Teaspoon would live much longer. How much could the word of one woman be worth when the leaders of an Indian village had the fate of two white men in their hands?

"We thank you," said Teaspoon and smiled at the young woman.

Rebecca nodded, rose to her feet and left the prison. Once outside, she drew a breath of fresh air. She could see Running Buck standing outside their own home with worry in his eyes. Rebecca bit her lip and walked over to him.

"What did they say?" asked Running Buck as he reached out and took her hand in his. "Are you alright, you look a little pale?"

Rebecca gave his hand a light squeeze and gave her husband a small smile. "Let's talk inside." The entire village was looking at them, which Rebecca didn't like. It was Running Buck who had persuaded his father to allow her to talk with Teaspoon Hunter and Jimmy Hikock; therefore she thought it only fitting that Running Buck would be the first to know what she had learned.

Sitting down on their sleeping mat, Running Buck placed a blanket over her shoulders before he pulled her close into a hug. Something about the look in her eyes worried him. He didn't know if it was because of the pregnancy of if she had learned something from talking to the white prisoners.

"All they are guilty of is being at the wrong place at the wrong time," she said as she scooted closer to Running Buck. "They didn't know that they had entered Kiowa land," she mumbled the last bit into his shoulder and she fought hard to keep the tears at bay. She wanted to be strong, but at the same time she knew that more than anything, she wanted and needed comfort. The pregnancy had her emotions all up in the air and she wasn't always able to think straight.

"Teaspoon and Jimmy, that's their names, they are the lawmen of the white world. They were following outlaws and the tracks led them here." At Rebecca's words, Running Buck nodded and held her closer. "I don't want them to be executed for only doing their job."

"That is up to the chiefs," said Running Buck, failing at being reassuring. "They know where the village is, if we let them go, we won't be safe."

"I know," said Rebecca. "I promised them that I would put in a good word for them, but I have a feeling that it won't help them."

"Probably not," said Running Buck and kissed the top of her head. "But I still think that you should keep your promise to them. It's better to try … and fail, than to never

have tried at all."

"I guess you're right about that," said Rebecca.


	16. Chapter 16

Little Sparrow woke and sat up with a start. Taking a deep breath, she realized that it was still dark out and morning wouldn't come for many hours yet. So much had happened lately she was confused. The dream she had just woken up from was the most confusing of all. Ever since she had been assigned the task of giving food to the white prisoners, she hadn't been able to get the eyes of the youngest of the white men out of her head. They were so amazingly blue, like the water in the river. Their expression showed fear, but something else as well.

His eyes showed worry, though Little Sparrow had a feeling that it wasn't about the fate he and his older friend would most likely meet. She couldn't think about anything other than his eyes. Not even in her sleep.

xXx

Running Buck and Rebecca hadn't left the comfort of their home after they had learned that the village leaders hadn't taken her seriously when she told them about Teaspoon and Jimmy and how they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and how they didn't know that they had entered Kiowa territory.

It grieved Rebecca that she hadn't been able to save the lives of Jimmy and Teaspoon. Curling up next to Running Buck on the sleeping mat, she took comfort in listening to the sound of his heart beating. They hadn't really spoken since they had been told the news; they had just held each other close. Running Buck had one hand placed on the slight mound that was now her belly. Taking a deep breath, Rebecca placed her own hand over his.

"I wished there was something I could do," she whispered.

"I wished there was something I could do as well," said Running Buck as he pulled her closer. If the two men had come to the village before he had met Rebecca, he wouldn't have thought twice about what became of their lives. But know that she had gotten to know Rebecca, fallen in love with her, and married her, his mind had been opened up to a whole new set of ideas; a whole new way to look at the world.

It was through Rebecca he had learned that not all white men where bad. If the same thing could be said for the two white men Rebecca called Jimmy and Teaspoon, Running Buck had no idea. He wished there was something else he could do. He had talked to his mother in an attempt to get his father and the other leaders of the village to give the two white men the benefit of the doubt, but it hadn't worked out. Running Buck felt that there would be a bigger chance of Strong Buffalo to listen to his wife rather than his son, but here he had been in the wrong.

"We've done what we can do," said Rebecca. "I've talked to Jimmy and Teaspoon and I've talked to the leaders of the village. They just won't listen." With a shaky hand she reached up to wipe the tears away from her eyes. She had promised herself that she would remain strong, keep her face held high, but found that she could not. Not now. She didn't have a choice when Jimmy and Teaspoon would be executed, but in front of her husband, she didn't mind showing weakness.

"It is almost time," said Running Buck. He dreaded this moment – he didn't know how Rebecca would take it that they didn't have a choice but to attend the execution. Hugging her close he placed a kiss on the top of her head hoping that it would give her strength. Right now, they both needed it.

"We should get going," said Rebecca, though she didn't move. She thought that if she just sat still then she maybe she would stop time long enough for her to figure something out; something which would enable her to save the lives of Jimmy and Teaspoon.

When they couldn't put it off any longer, Running Buck helped her stand. He remained close to her side and Rebecca clutched his hand. Walking outside they joined the gathering crowds in the middle of the village.

xXx

Jimmy hadn't seen the woman who called herself Rebecca since the first day she had come to talk to him and Teaspoon. The Indian woman with the sad eyes had come to bring them food and Jimmy couldn't help but to wonder at that. If they were going to be executed, why did they use of their resources to feed them. Wouldn't it be better for them to starve? Mentally shaking his head, Jimmy knew that he shouldn't think such thoughts. Right now his ultimate and only goal was to survive. He wanted to live long enough to breathe fresh air and to see the sun rise another morning.

When the white woman who called herself Rebecca had come to talk to them, he had eyed hope, but that hope had disappeared. Looking around, he could see her standing close to what he could only assume was her husband. The two were holding each other close. Jimmy's eyes searched over the group of people which had gathered around them, wanting one last look at the woman who had brought him and Teaspoon their meals.

When their eyes met, Jimmy felt that his heart skipped a beat. His eyes were pleading; the look of hers couldn't be interpreted.

xXx

Running Buck held his arms around his wife, his eyes closed and wished that it would all go away and that the two white men had never stepped onto Kiowa territory. He wished there was something he could do for his wife. He could feel her shoulders shaking, though no sobs escaped her lips. Gently he moved one hand up and down her back hoping that the small gesture would bring her comfort.

"Stop!" a voice rang out just as the two white men were about to face their last minutes on Mother Earth.


	17. Chapter 17

Rebecca positioned herself in between Strong Buffalo and Jimmy and Teaspoon. She held her back straight and her arms out wide so as to make herself as big and powerful as possible. She knew that her father-in-law was a powerful man in the village and stepping in between him and the men he was about to execute would probably have repercussions, but she couldn't have in on her conscience that she had let two innocent men die due to the fact that she hadn't done absolutely everything in her power to save them.

"Rebecca, step aside," said Strong Buffalo in a mighty and booming voice. He had had enough of all the female nonsense which had come upon his family like a storm blowing over the prairie.

"No, you can't kill them. They haven't done anything wrong!" Rebecca spoke the words loud enough for the whole village to hear her. "In the white world they are the men who make sure that laws and regulations are upheld. They are just like you, Strong Buffalo, you are a powerful man in the village, just like they are powerful men in the white world." She had spoken those words to Strong Buffalo once before but she hadn't been able to get through to him. She had to try one last time.

"Strong Buffalo," said Morning Sun as she placed a hand on her husband's shoulders. "She has a point. If we kill them, then more trouble will come to our village. It is like Rebecca says; they are powerful men in the white world and I'm sure they will be missed."

Strong Buffalo was about to reply when one of the young men who had been assigned to look out for trouble which may come from sources outside of the village, came running. "White men are coming! White men are coming!"

After that announcement, the village went into a frenzy of activity. The men prepared to protect the village from the intruders and Rebecca could do nothing but just stand still and stare. After what seemed like an eternity, Morning Sun reached around her shoulders and together the two women ran for safety with the other women and children. Rebecca clutched her swollen belly as she looked over her shoulder for her husband. As she was unable to see him a bolt of fear shot through her and she worried that their child would grow up without a father.

"What's going to happen now?" asked Rebecca in a low voice. She feared that her question would scare the children, but for her own sake she needed to know. Looking down at her stomach, she worried about the future for the little one and what it would be like for him or her to grow up caught between two fighting worlds.

"We'll be alright," said Morning Sun as the two women hunched together, hoping that they would be able to make time go faster so that the attack would be over.

"We'll all be alright. You will be alright, Running Buck will be alright and that little one of yours will also be alright." Morning Sun knew that she was promising more than she could keep, but she felt the need to reassure Rebecca that nothing was going to happen.

"You don't have to fear for your life any longer," one of the soldiers told Rebecca. Before that voice had come out of nowhere and broken through her mind, she had been almost like in a trance. She had listened to Morning Sun's voice telling her that everything would be alright, Rebecca hoped and prayed that the attack would soon be over and that Running Buck would be fine.

"I fear for my life because you're attacking my home," said Rebecca in a shaking voice. She bit her lip as she looked up at the man in the blue coat. She knew she needed to be brave now for she didn't just have herself to look after, and she would hate herself if something happened to the little one she was carrying. The soldier grabbed her by her arm and pulled her up. "Let me go! You're hurting me! I'm here at my own free will and I don't need your help to do anything at all."

"This one's been brainwashed to believe she's at home here," the man called to the rest of his company as he pulled Rebecca along.

xXx

'Rescuing' Rebecca wasn't the only reason why the white men had attacked the village. There had also been news that a US Marshal and his deputy had been taken capture while on a posse to gather up a gang of outlaws.

"You're free now," said the soldier who had cut Teaspoon and Jimmy down from the

scaffolding.

"Free," said Teaspoon and looked at the scene unfolding around him. This didn't look much like freedom to him. Even though the Kiowa nation hadn't treated Jimmy Hikock and Teaspoon Hunter with what could be described as kindness, Teaspoon also saw that a whole village had been attacked without any forewarning. The Kiowa had never even gotten a chance to get the women and children to safety.

"Jimmy," said Teaspoon. The battle raged around them so he didn't have to lower his voice. "This isn't a fair fight,"

"And what are you gonna do about it," huffed Jimmy. More than anything he wanted to get the hell out of the village.

"We must even the odds a little bit," said Teaspoon, his voice determined as he took the rifle from the dead soldier.

Both sides fought long and hard, and when the battle was over and the situation started to calm down, Jimmy sat down and leaned against what had once been a teepee. He noticed that he had a bleeding gun shot wound in his arm. During the heat of the battle he hadn't noticed it. He still thought Teaspoon was crazy for not getting the hell out of what had once been a village, but a part of him agreed that the odds hadn't been even. Ripping off his shirt he used it to bind the wound and hopefully it would help to get the bleeding to stop.

"Hey…" said a female voice. As Jimmy looked up, Little Sparrow sat down next to him. She helped him to bind his arm. Even though the situation was extreme, Jimmy was glad that those who had survived helped each other. With one bloody hand she reached out and touched her shoulder; his way of showing the girl who had brought Teaspoon and him food when they had been captive.

Jimmy didn't know what was going to happen next. The chief who had been about to execute them when Rebecca had stepped between them in an attempt to stop them, had been killed, so he hoped that they would be set free.

Little Sparrow smiled softly and looked from his and on her shoulder to his face and his eyes. It was those eyes she had never been able to get out of her head. At first she thought that she was fascinated by them because they were as blue as the sky, but now she knew what it was. This man looked at her the way a man should look at a woman. Taking a deep breath, she leaned in and placed a light kiss on his lips.

Jimmy's whole body froze at the kiss. He wasn't sure how he was going to respond to it. "Thank you," he said, feeling stupid for saying it. It wasn't the right thing to say in the situation, but he took relief in the fact that she didn't understand his words. Instead he reached up to touch her cheek and he smiled.

xXx

Running Buck looked around the village, desperately searching for a head of red hair and a face with the most beautiful smile he had even seen. He grew more and more desperate as he couldn't see her. All he could see was other members of the Kiowa nation. A small inkling of joy broke through the wave of desperateness as he spotted his mother sitting on the ground.

Walking up to the older woman he sat down next to her.

At first, Morning Sun didn't notice that her son had sat down next to her for she was mourning the loss of her husband. When Running Buck saw the body of his father a lone tear fell from his eyes and he hugged his mother close.

"Mother," he said in a soft, yet shaking voice.

"They took Rebecca. The white men took her even though she didn't want to." Running Buck broke into sobs as the mourned for the death of his father and the disappearance of his wife.

"I need to look for her," Running Buck said and Morning Sun nodded. "I need to make sure that she and the baby are alright." He paused. "Will … will you be alright?"

"I will be. I have Red Bear here with me. You need to venture into the white world to find your wife and daughter."

xXx

"Teaspoon what's going to happen now?" asked Jimmy. Little Sparrow sat at his side and the two young people sat next to one another, holding each other close. The events of the day had been traumatic for both of them and they needed the safety of another person.

"I don't know son, I don't know." Teaspoon sat back and sighed. It took Jimmy to find a girlfriend in the middle of a massacre. At those words Jimmy pulled Little Sparrow closer and his eyes closed.

"I need to go to the white world." Jimmy opened his eyes at the sound of a voice. "Can you take me please?" The Indian spoke in a slow and broken English. He was the one who was married to the white woman who had tried to save their lives after they had been taken capture.

"I need to find Rebecca," said Running Buck when he didn't get a response from the two white men.


	18. Chapter 18

Sitting down at the campsite, Running Buck wished that they would be able to continue. For each step he took he would also be one step closer to finding Rebecca again. Staring into the flames of the fire he had wrapped around his shoulders the white blanket he and Rebecca had wrapped in the day they had gotten married. The white soldiers, who had come to the village, ruined it and most everybody in it. They had also soiled the blanket he had now wrapped around his shoulders, but he didn't care; the blanket was the only thing that linked him to Rebecca.

He was grateful that Jimmy and Teaspoon had agreed to go with him to the white world. They had been released by the soldiers after they had killed his father, but to Running Buck's amazement, Teaspoon and Jimmy had fought for the Kiowa Nation. Running Buck didn't dare ask, but he hoped that they fought for the Kiowa Nation because the white soldiers were attacking the women and children.

Everything Running Buck knew about what life was like in the white world he had learned from the Rebecca and that wasn't all that much now that he was getting to know Jimmy and Teaspoon. He knew a little bit of the language, and even less about the culture and the way of life. He had a feeling deep in the pit of his stomach that he could trust them.

Biting the inside of his cheek, tears feel from his eyes as the image of Rebecca danced before his eyes.

Little Sparrow rested her head of Jimmy's shoulder. She was about to embark on a new adventure; and adventure like nothing she had ever been on before. She knew that the road ahead of her would be difficult, but she also knew that she wouldn't be alone. She didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow. A small smile on her lips, she wrapped Jimmy's good arm around her shoulders.

A part of her knew that she wouldn't be able to stay in the village. In her life she had done a lot of things without thinking about the consequences, but looking back on everything that had happened before the village had been attacked by the white soldiers, she had learned from her mistakes. She knew she had done a lot of stupid things, but she had grown up and the lessons which she had been taught she would bring with her to the new life which she was about to embark on.

Little Sparrow could feel Jimmy's eyes look down on her and she looked up and smiled at him. She found it amazing that her and Jimmy didn't understand a word of what the other person said, but at the same time they were very comfortable in each other's company. Taking his good arm she placed a light kiss on the top of his hand.

Teaspoon sighed and looked from the miserable Running Buck to his deputy and what appeared to be a new flame. The whole situation, to Teaspoon, seemed to be tragic, but uplifting at the same time. The Kiowa village had been attacked, and broken down until next to nothing was left, but Teaspoon hoped and prayed that the outcome of the massacre was that people, on both sides, would see past the differences in culture and instead see what they had in common.

Taking a deep breath, Teaspoon knew that he had to think through what was going to happen next and what they were going to do? Their situation was, to say the least, unique. He knew that they needed to go into the town where Rebecca had lived before she had moved to the village to be with Running Buck. He hoped that there, they would find some clues as to what had happened to her. For Running Buck and Rebecca's sake, Teaspoon hoped that nothing serious had happened, but a feeling in the pit of his stomach told him that the situation was dire.

"I think that it's time that we turn in," said Teaspoon to the three other people around the campfire. He knew that now, more than anything else, the group needed a leader. "Tomorrow we will travel towards the town where Rebecca lived before you two found each other," he gave Running Buck a look. "I will talk to the lawman there and see if there's something he knows about Rebecca."

"Thank you," said Running Buck in his best English, trying his best to force a grateful smile on his face. It was difficult when images he couldn't reach of his beloved Rebecca flashed before his eyes.

xXx

The following day, Running Buck was the first person to wake up, not that he had gotten much sleep to begin with. The loss of his wife, his home and his father had taken a great toll on him and as one day had passed the depth of all that he had lost began to catch up to him. Taking a shaking breath, he sat up and crossed his legs underneath him. The only bright point right now was that Teaspoon would go into the town where Rebecca had grown up to see if he could find any clues.

Running Buck wanted to tell Teaspoon about what had happened when Rebecca came to live with him in the village. He had a feeling that it would be important to finding her, but he couldn't find the words. Before the others woke up, Running Buck tried to form the words, but none would escape his lips. Frustrated, he sighed and gave up.

Looking at the area around him, Running Buck could hear Teaspoon snore which brought him a strange sort of comfort. For a few brief moments, he smiled. Jimmy and Little Sparrow lay in each other's arms. He was glad that the two of them had found each other because he had been worried about her after he had broken up with her. She and Jimmy had only known each other for a few days, but he had a feeling that they were in love. At least that was what he could tell from looking at them asleep in each others arms.

"You're up," said Teaspoon as he sat up. "How are you?"

"I don't know," Running Buck answered honestly after he had given Teaspoon's question a lot of thought. He understood it from the English Rebecca had taught him. "What will happen after today?" he asked in a careful voice.

"I think that depends on what happens in town today," said Teaspoon knowing that he had to chose his words carefully. In the Kiowa village, Running Buck was considered a grown man, respected and about to be father, but he was also young and had just gone through a traumatic event. "If … if I can't find anything that is affirmative?"

"Affirmative?" Running Buck wondered.

Teaspoon caught himself. "It means to be certain of something," he said. "If I can't find something that isn't affirmative we need to find a plan from there." Feeling clumsy, Teaspoon took a deep breath to gather himself. "I will tell you what the plan is when I get back from town."

"That's good," said Running Buck and nodded. Looking down at his hands, he thought that Teaspoon and Jimmy were willing to do so much for him even though his father had been about to execute them before his home had been attacked. He wanted to do something in return. "I'll hunt … rabbit for breakfast," he said as he rose to his feet.

Teaspoon could only watch as Running Buck walked away from the camp. He knew that this was a hard time for the boy and Teaspoon could feel his pain.

"Is it morning already?" grumbled Jimmy as he opened his eyes and stared up at the sunrise. Teaspoon smiled as he realized that something would never change; Jimmy hated mornings. He tried to sit up, but then noticed that Little Sparrow was still sleeping on his shoulder. Laying back down, he did so as carefully as possible so he wouldn't wake the sleeping girl. He froze as she mumbled something he couldn't understand. "It's alright," he said in a soft voice brushing a few stray locks of hair away from her face.

"Morning," said Little Sparrow as she looked up at Jimmy. It took a couple of moments before she remembered everything that had happened the previous day and she sat up and looked down at her hands.

"Are you alright?" asked Jimmy as he touched her shoulder. Even though Little Sparrow didn't understand the words, she could read the look on his face and she nodded.

"What on earth…?" uttered Teaspoon as Running Buck came walking back to the camp, carrying an unconscious man in his arms. He wasn't sure what he was going to think about him.

"Teaspoon," said Running Buck in a halting voice. "I found him, he was hurt. Can you help him?"

Teaspoon guessed that the boy was a little bit younger than Running Buck, but that could have something to do with the fact that the boy was so skinny he couldn't possibly have had a proper meal in ages.


	19. Chapter 19

Running Buck lay the young man down next to the glowing embers of the fire they had started last night. Sitting down next to him, Running Buck now saw that the young man had no hair on his head and he was skinny and deadly pale. He had most likely been sick for a long time. A bolt of fear jolted through him as he feared that he wouldn't make it. The longer he had been sick, the more difficult it would be for him to make a recovery.

"Can you do anything to help him?" asked Running Buck as he looked up at Teaspoon with pleading eyes. He had just found the young man, but he didn't want any more death and destruction. Running Buck had already dealt with enough of that to last him a lifetime, right now he couldn't handle any more of it.

Teaspoon sat down next to Running Buck and looked the young man over. The young man looked bad. "I'm no doctor, but I think he needs a lot of rest and a good meal. For the moment, I think that's all we can do for him."

Running Buck nodded. "Little Sparrow, could you make some soup for him please? I don't want him to eat anything that's too heavy before he has gotten some of his strength back." he asked of his childhood friend. Teaspoon and Jimmy didn't understand what the two were talking about so Running Buck translated for them. Teaspoon had to agree with Buck on that; it wouldn't be good for the young man to shock his system by eating something that the body wasn't healthy enough to handle.

As Ike McSwain woke up, he could feel all eyes on him and he wanted to sink into a whole in the ground and simply disappear. When he had ran away from the orphanage he had wanted to make it on his own, not have to be saved by a bunch of strangers. He had wanted to prove to himself, as well as all of the nuns at the orphanage that he would be able to take care of himself. He had been old enough to leave, but due to the fact that he wasn't like anybody else, he had been kept back. He hated it at the orphanage and he didn't want to spend one more minute than what he had to. One night he had just left.

It turned out that he hadn't been as able to take care of himself as he had thought. In shame he turned his head away from the people who were now looking down at him.

"What do you think happened to him?" Jimmy asked Teaspoon.

"I don't know, son, I don't know. But it is a good thing that he's awake. That means that it's going in the right direction." Teaspoon sat back and looked at the small family it seemed like they had created.

"What…?" started Running Buck, searching for the right words. "Is your name?" Swallowing hard, he realized that he was starting to forget the amount of English Rebecca had taught him. If he was starting to forget the things she had taught him, there was a chance he might forget her as well.

Ike turned back and looked at the Indian who had asked him what his name was. The Indian looked sad, Ike thought. He had reasons to be sad as well. Ike thought that maybe if he gave the Indian his name, maybe he would cheer up. Ike opened his mouth, but as usual, no words came out. Instead he spelled his name out in the soil next to him. He swallowed hard and sighed. He wasn't sure what was going to do next. He didn't want to be a burden on anyone; he had been a burden long enough.

Running Buck looked at the lines in the soil and looked from Teaspoon to Jimmy in wonder. It seemed that they knew what the lines meant.

"Ike McSwain," said Teaspoon. He knew that he had to choose his words carefully.

"Do you not speak…?" he asked in a careful voice. Ike nodded his head. "Would you like something to eat?" he asked as he saw that Little Sparrow had prepared the soup. Again, Ike nodded his head.

xXx

Walking into town, Teaspoon looked around and attempted to spot the markers of anything that could be linked to Rebecca and the way she had grown up. Looking around, Teaspoon eyes searched for Rebecca hoping that she would be fine in town. Deep in the bottom of his gut, he knew that not to be true. If the soldiers had taken her against her will and she had protested that she was in the village out of her own free will, the chance that she had had just been let go to do as she wanted was very slim.

Walking into the sheriff's office, Teaspoon put his best face forwards.

"What can I do to help you?" asked the Sheriff as she rose from his chair.

xXx

After Teaspoon had left the camp, things were pretty much silent between the Jimmy, Running Buck and Little Sparrow. Neither of them knew exactly what to say. There were a lot of things unsaid, but instead of clearing the air, they all busied themselves with tasks to pass the time until Teaspoon returned with news about Rebecca from town. Little Sparrow sat next to Ike and fed him some soup. She had never in her life seen anyone who was as skinny as him so she figured that he would need all the food he could get.

Jimmy cleaned his gun, a task he always preformed when there was something he needed to think carefully about. He had never been able to just sit still and think, he always needed to do something practical and worthwhile and keeping his firearm in good condition had saved his life on more than one occasion. A small smile came to his lips as he looked at the woman, whose name he had learned was Little Sparrow, help Ike eat.

There was something about her that had attracted him to her from the very first moment he had laid eyes on her. He knew that he had a tendency to fall for women especially the beautiful ones, but there was something about Little Sparrow that set her apart from all the other women he had been seeing in his past. Of course, that was not to say that Little Sparrow wasn't beautiful. It was just that there was something about her that Jimmy wasn't sure he could define. She had a special kind of spirit which Jimmy had never seen before.

He wanted to get to know Little Sparrow better. Jimmy felt that he already knew her, but the small touched, the kisses, and falling asleep in each other's arms – that was just one part of the relationship. He wanted to be able to talk to her, but at the moment, he didn't know a word of the Kiowa language and she didn't know a lick of English. It would be difficult for them to hold a conversation. Perhaps he should make an effort to learn the Kiowa language, to know that he has an interest in her.

Closing his eyes, Jimmy allowed the cloth to go over the barrel of his firearm while he tried to think about the words he had heard being passed between Little Sparrow and Running Buck earlier and what he had heard when he and Teaspoon had been prisoners in the village.

Slowly the words formed in the back of his throat and made its way to his lips. "Little Sparrow," he said in a soft voice.

When she heard Jimmy mention her name, Little Sparrow dropped the spoon, which was halfway on its journey from the bowl to Ike's lips. She had never heard him mention her name before. Moving away from Ike, she sat down next to Jimmy and smiled.

"Jimmy…" She tried in a careful voice wanting to pronounce the word correctly. Little Sparrow wanted to do it the right way. With a careful hand, she reached out to take his in hers. Giving it a light squeeze she looked up at him.

Running Buck looked up from the task of making arrows, and smiled at Jimmy and Little Sparrow getting to know each other. It made him think of all the times he had spent with Rebecca at her farm before she had moved with him to the Kiowa village. It was there that they had learned to know each other and gotten to learn each other's language. Offering up a silent payer to the spirits, Running Buck hoped that Jimmy and Little Sparrow would find the same happiness that he and Rebecca had. He added that he hoped that the outcome would be better for the new couple than what it had been for him and Rebecca.

Not being able to go into town with Teaspoon, Running Buck had been restless, and he wanted to track the older man in to town and see if there was something he could do to help. He knew that he wouldn't be of any help sitting in the camp doing nothing – and he wanted to do something for Rebecca. He somehow wanted her to know that he was doing his best to find her and to make sure that she was safe.

Instead of doing wishful thinking he had decided that he was going to make arrows. Most of the ones that he had, had been destroyed when the white soldiers had come to the village. It was always practical to have arrows and Running Buck always carried with him some unsharpened rocks to make arrowheads from.

"Running Buck," asked Little Sparrow. "Could you translate for me to Jimmy please?" Running Buck put the arrow heads aside and nodded. "Could you tell Jimmy that I wish to learn English?" Again Running Buck nodded and a small smile came to his lips as he hoped that her and Jimmy would make a good couple. After what had happened to them, they deserved some happiness.

"I would like to teach you," said Jimmy and Running Buck translated for him.

xXx

Walking back into the camp, Teaspoon feared what he was going to tell Running Buck. He knew that he would have to tell the truth, it was just that the truth was difficult and Teaspoon had no idea how he was going to word himself. He wanted to break the news to the lad as gently as possible.

"Did you find something?" Running Buck looked up at Teaspoon, his dark eyes full of hope. When he saw the look of defeat in Teaspoon eyes, he knew that the news would be bad. "You didn't…" Teaspoon shook his head and motioned for Running Buck to sit down. Teaspoon sat down next to him.

"No, there's no sign of her in town," said Teaspoon in a mournful voice. He took a deep breath, trying to go through in his mind the best way possible to tell Running Buck that he had been unable to find his wife. "I was talking to the sheriff in town, but one of the soldiers who had taken part in the attack on the village came in, and the sheriff then…"

"He didn't say anything about where Rebecca is right now." Running Buck didn't dare look at Teaspoon as he spoke the words he dreaded more than anything in the words. Right now, the only person who knew where Rebecca was, was Rebecca herself – and perhaps those who had put her there. Someone must have taken her, Running Buck concluded. It wouldn't be like Rebecca to not try and find him again. They loved each other and they were going to have a child. A little girl according to his mother.

"No, I'm sorry son. I went by the farm you told me about on the way back and the place looked deserted."

Again, Running Buck nodded. He would have to find a different way to search for Rebecca. He wouldn't be able to rest until he knew that she and the child were safe. Running Buck took a deep breath to steady himself and to calm himself down enough to be able to think about what he was going to do next. He hated himself for not having learned anything more about the white world from Rebecca when he had had the chance.

"I did see this though," said Teaspoon and held a piece of paper out for Running Buck to see. With shaking hands, Running Buck took the paper and looked at it with wonder in his eyes. There were a lot of strange characters on it which he didn't

understand, but he knew that it was the white man's way of passing information from one person to the next. The only thing on the paper which he understood was the drawing of the man riding a horse.

"What does it mean?" said Running Buck. A very little part of him hoped that it would have something to do with maybe Rebecca.

Jimmy took the paper form Running Buck and looked it over. "I think this might be a good idea, Teaspoon," he said with excitement in his voice. "This way we can cover a lot of land in a little amount of time."

"That is exactly what I thought to," said Teaspoon with a sly smirk plastered on his lips. Running Buck looked from one person to the next, confused. Jimmy and Teaspoon were talking so fast that he had a hard time trying to keep up with them. Not to mention that he had no idea what a drawing of a man on a horse had anything to do with Rebecca. He also thought that Teaspoons sly smirk was out of place. "What is going on?!" The words came out a lot louder than what he had imagined that they would be. "Can either of you please tell me what's going on!"

Little Sparrow placed a hand on his arm to calm him down. "I'm sure they'll tell you now," she said in a soft voice. She ached for Running Buck and for the loss he must feel over his wife having been kidnapped from the village when it had been attacked.

"This here…" said Teaspoon and pointed at the paper in Jimmy's hand. "This here is an advertisement for the Pony Express."

"What's the Pony Express?" asked Running Buck. He knew the word 'pony', but he had never heard of 'express' before.

"This means that a company is looking for riders to carry messages over longer distances," explained Teaspoon. "I figure that you and Jimmy will be perfect for the job. And Ike here, once he has had the opportunity to rest up a little. Riding for the Pony Express will give us the opportunity to cover great distances to search for Rebecca."

"I think that is a good idea," said Running Buck after having given the subject some thought.

"Does it also mean that we'll split up to look for her so that we're looking in more than one place at the same time?"

Teaspoon nodded, and a small smile came to Running Buck's lips. "Are we all in agreement?" He looked out at the group of people who would soon be coworkers.


	20. Chapter 20

Emma Shannon stood on the porch and wiped her hands on her apron as the man she assumed would be the station manager arrived together with three young men and a young woman. She thought that the three men would be some of the riders, but she had no idea who the young woman was. Narrowing her eyes and using one hand to shadow out the sun, she could see that she was Indian and wearing a doeskin dress. She walked next to the young man with the black hat pulled far down over his eyes. Next to him walked another Indian who Emma could see carried himself with pride even though she was pretty sure there was also a great weight on his shoulder. The third young man was tall and lanky and Emma thought that he could use a good meal. They could all use a good meal if she had anything to say in the matter.

"My name is Emma Shannon," she said in a bright voice and with a smile on her lips. "And while you're here working for the Pony Express I'll be your station mistress."

Emma shook everybody's hand and Running Buck imitated what he saw the others do. Apparently this was a custom in the white world; shake hand with people the first time you meet them. There was also something about Emma Shannon that made him feel at ease. He wasn't sure exactly what it was; he just knew that he could trust her.

"According to my information," said Emma. "The rest of the riders will arrive tomorrow so for the rest of the day it will just be us. I put some stew on in the bunkhouse. It's nothing fancy, but it will fill you up."

Emma led the way towards the bunkhouse and Running Buck looked around in wonder. The Pony Express station was different from Rebecca's old farm as the buildings were bigger, not to mention that there was more of them. He had to wonder why so few people needed that many houses. Walking inside the building Emma had called the bunkhouse, he could see that there were beds put against the walls and there was a big table in the middle of the room. He did what Jimmy, Teaspoon and Ike did and sat down on the bench.

Emma bustled around in the one room building, putting plates in front of the people sitting at the table. Both Running Buck and Little Sparrow looked at the knife and fork with wonder. Neither of them had seen eating utensils like that before. A small smile came to Running Buck's lips as he remembered that Rebecca had showed him how to use those a long time ago. It had only been less than a year, but it seemed like an eternity. He was about to show Little Sparrow how to use it, but Jimmy was already doing it.

Running Buck was glad that Little Sparrow had found someone she cared about. He had been worried about her for a long time. His childhood friend hadn't been happy, but now it seemed that she was more comfortable in her own skin. Looking down at his plate, she concentrated on his food. Running Buck was glad that out of all this tragedy something good had happened.

xXx

Later that evening, Emma sat on the porch of her home next to Teaspoon. The future Pony Express riders had all turned in for the night, and Little Sparrow was situated in the guestroom of her house. Emma wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and smiled. "It been a long time since there's been some activity around this place," she said.

"It's going to be whole lot of more activity around here tomorrow when the rest of the bunch shows up," added Teaspoon with a smile and a small shake of the head.

"Yeah, I guess," said Emma and paused a few moments. "Teaspoon, can I ask you something?" When Teaspoon nodded, she continued. "The Indian, Running Buck … he seems sad for some reason."

Teaspoon nodded. "I'm not sure if Running Buck would want to tell you himself, but the village where he lived, it was attacked by soldiers and he lost his wife there."

"Oh," said Emma and looked down at her hands. Running Buck seemed so young, not old enough to have a wife. For the weight he carried on his shoulders, he must have loved her something fierce. Young love was like that, all empowering and nothing else in the world mattered.

"He left the village to search for her."

"She wasn't killed in the attack?" wondered Emma.

Teaspoon shook his head. "She was a white girl. I don't know how she met Running Buck and how she came to the village. All I know is that they loved each other."

xXx

Inside the bunkhouse, no one had fallen asleep. Running Buck sat on his bunk and wondered how on earth he was going to sleep without Rebecca at his side. It had been difficult for him to get a full night's sleep since Rebecca had been taken away from him. He looked from Jimmy to the silent boy named Ike. A part of him needed to reach out to someone. He couldn't be alone – he had never been alone before in his life.

The silent boy looked at him. Running Buck wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. It wasn't like Ike could answer him. A smile came to his lips as the answer to his question came to him. "Friend" he said as he signed the word at the same time.

Ike signed the word Running Buck had showed him and a bright smile came to his lips. For the first time since he was a child, he had been able talk to someone.


	21. Chapter 21

Sitting on the cot in her small cell, Rebecca sighed as the door slammed behind her and the key was turned to lock her in. It was just fortunate that she had been able to survive this long. The white soldiers had taken her with force from the village. Even though she had protested loudly, the soldiers hadn't listened to her. Instead they had claimed that she was brainwashed and because of that she wouldn't know what was best for her.

Rebecca hated being trapped in the small one room cell they had put her in, but she knew that in the long run it would be for the best. The soldiers who had taken her had unfortunately recognized her from a wanted poster which had been issued in relation to the murders which had taken place on her land. Immediately after the killings had taken place and she had moved to the village to be with Running Buck; she had feared that something like that may have happened, but as she had found a home in the village, she had simply forgotten.

She had confessed to the murders of the men, even though she had made a point to claim that it was self-defense. The last thing she wanted was to bring more problems to the village. The white men had done the Kiowa Nation enough harm, she didn't want to add to it. Rebecca wanted the Kiowa to be able to regain their strength and power after the brutal attack.

Pulling her legs up under her, Rebecca wrapped her arms around herself and pretended that it was Running Buck holding her. The image of her husband was the only thing that prevented her from giving up. He would have wanted her to be strong. She knew that she not only had to be strong for Running Buck, but also for the little one that she carried within herself.

The child was the only reason she had not yet been hung. When the sentence had been delivered she had pleaded her belly.

xXx

Running Buck smiled as all the introductions of the new riders had been made. Teaspoon had them all stand in a line where he had then inspected them all from head to toe. Running Buck knew that Teaspoon wanted to give an appearance of strictness, because the job which they had been hired to do was a dangerous one and as such needed a leader who knew how to take charge.

In addition to him, Jimmy and Ike, there was Kid, Cody and Lou. Running Buck thought that Kid and Cody were exact opposites. Where Kid was silent, thoughtful and didn't make a fuss about things, Cody was flamboyant and there was always something going on when he was near. Lou, Running Buck wasn't quite able to figure on. There was something which he wasn't able to put his finger on. Running Buck was sure that he would learn what eventually and the last thing he wanted was to pry into something which wasn't his business.

Training for the job, Running Buck found to be enjoyable. It gave him a goal to work for and the physical labor helped him to not always think about the loss of his wife.

As he washed up for supper, Running Buck looked at his reflection in the mirror, and again his thoughts returned to Rebecca. For a moment he closed his eyes before he opened them again and imaged that Rebecca was standing behind him and smiled back at him.

"Are you alright?" asked Cody. "You've been standing in front of that mirror for an awful long time." The blond man looked at Running Buck with a crooked grin.

"I'm fine," answered Running Buck and stepped aside. "I've just never seen a mirror before." He mumbled the excuse under his breath and walked into the bunkhouse where he sat down at the table. Running Buck knew that he now had two goals; the first one was to do his job to the best of his abilities, and the second was to search for Rebecca. He knew that he needed not to constantly think of her; if he did so he would lose sight of all else and that would eventually lead him away from his search for Rebecca. Running Buck knew that he needed to keep track of everything if he was ever to find her.

"Running Buck, are you alright?" asked Emma as she put a soft hand on his shoulder. It was only then that he realized that everybody else was eating and he hadn't even touched his food.

"I'm fine," he hurried to say. "I was just thinking."

"It alright," said Emma with a soft smile on her lips. "Just don't forget that you have to eat."

"I won't," promised Running Buck as he took a big bite of his chicken to stop Emma from worrying about him. He didn't want her to worry; he wanted her to know that he was able to take care of himself.

It had been a long day so the rest of the meal was eaten in silence. It was only when the meal had been finished that Teaspoon cleared his throat, thus gaining everyone's attention. "It has been a long day for you all and I am sure that you're tired. Don't keep the light on too late." With that he rose and left the table.

Yawning, Running Buck stretched and sat down on his bed. He wasn't sleepy just yet, but instead sat and looked out the window. It was so different to sleep inside a white man's house instead of in a teepee. It was almost as though the air was different inside the bunkhouse than what he was used to. What Running Buck did appreciate was that he wasn't the only person sleeping in the bunkhouse; at least there was something here that was the same as in the village.

"What kind of Indian are you, Running Buck?" Cody asked.

Running Buck was taken away from his train of thought. It took a few moments before he understood Cody's question. "I'm Kiowa," he said.

"Cody, leave him alone, he's human just like me and you- Don't matter where he's from," said Jimmy. He was perfectly aware that Running Buck was able to take care of himself, but he thought that it would be for the best. "Now, it's getting late and I would like to get some shuteye because we all have to get up early in the morning."

xXx

The next morning, Jimmy figured that he could take a few moments to himself before he started doing chores. Sitting down on the small set of stairs leading up to the bunkhouse he watched the sun rise and could feel it warm his face. It was great feeling and the quiet morning gave him a chance to reflect on everything that had been going on lately. So many things had changed and he was happy about most of the changes. Even though being taken capture by the Kiowa village wasn't his idea of fun, it had resulted in him meeting Little Sparrow; and meeting her he wouldn't change for the world.

"Good morning," a voice broke though his train of thought as Little Sparrow sat down next to him. "How is your arm?" she asked in halting English and Jimmy found it amazing how quickly she had picked up on the English language. They were still a long way from having an actual conversation, but they were getting there – one step at a time.

"It's getting better," said Jimmy with a small smile and wrapped his good arm around her and pulled her close. The two sat in silence and Jimmy thought that it felt good to just sit next to each other and be together. An annoying voice at the back of his head told him that it would soon be time to get started on the day, but for now he chose to ignore it because it in the process of getting the Pony Express started, he hadn't had much time to spend with Little Sparrow.

Jimmy smiled and placed a light kiss on the top of her head. "I'm glad we met when we did," he spoke in a soft voice.

Little Sparrow didn't understand the words Jimmy spoke, but feeling his presence around her, she could understand the meaning. She felt comfortable being around Jimmy. After everything that had happened in the village and after it had been attacked, Little Sparrow knew that her life hadn't been of the most stable kind. Moving away from the village had probably been one of the most daunting things she had ever done, but she had a feeling that in the long run it would be for the best because this was where she belonged now. Being with Jimmy just felt right. She also knew that when she moved from the village she wouldn't be alone.

A small smile appeared on her face as she rested her head on Jimmy's shoulder and watched the sun rise. She thought that it was strange how comfortable they felt in each other's company, even though they had a hard time understanding each other. Well, they did understand each other to an extent – it just wasn't the verbal sort of communication.

As the two young lovers sat next to each other on the porch, the remainder of the station woke up around them. Neither of them seemed to notice.

Emma stepped out of her house and looked out at what she was now in charge of. Seeing the Pony Express riders starting to mill out of the bunkhouse ready to start the day, she knew that she and Teaspoon had their work cut out for them. Placing her hands on her hips, she couldn't help but notice in particular the closeness between Jimmy and Little Sparrow. Emma wondered at the relationship between them; Little Sparrow hardly knew any English and she was pretty sure that Jimmy didn't speak any Kiowa, but they were comfortable in each other's company. She could tell that just by looking at them.

A small smile came to her lips that Emma realized that these young men which she had been given the responsibility were probably more grown up than what other men their age were, but at the same time they still had a lot of growing up to do. Emma knew that they would still need a guiding hand.

"Jimmy, Little Sparrow," said Emma as she approached the two. "Could I talk to you inside the house please?" she asked. She could see that Little Sparrow was looking at her with confusion in her eyes. Her eyes turned to Jimmy, but he didn't know how to explain the confusion.

"Running Buck?" asked Emma as she turned her head towards the Indian who was just about to head to the stables. "Could you help me translate for Little Sparrow please?" She smiled as Running Buck nodded.

Quickly, Running Buck told Little Sparrow what was going on and he translated that Emma wanted to talk to her and Jimmy at the house. The confusion seemed to be lifted from the young woman's eyes as she smiled and nodded.

Once inside the house they all sat down at the kitchen table. Little Sparrow sat in between Jimmy and Running Buck. Emma could see that she was holding Jimmy's hand under the table and squeezing it tightly. Running Buck looked from the young couple to Emma, feeling that even though he had been asked to be the interpreter, he was intruding on something which should really be between Jimmy, Little Sparrow and Emma.

Emma sat herself down on the other side of the table and looked at the threesome in front of her.

"Running Buck," she started, and with a soft smile she continued. "Could you please tell Little Sparrow that I would really appreciate it if she would be able to help me around the house with chores." She stopped, thinking that what she had just said had come out being a little too roughly, so she knew that she would have to choose her next words carefully. "With so many new charges around here, I think that every hand is needed to make things go more smoothly."

Running Buck nodded and translated for Little Sparrow who in turn nodded in agreement.

"Little Sparrow said that she would be glad to help out," said Running Buck. "She said that she would like to be of some use here. It is like that in the village where we come from; everybody helps out to the best of their abilities so that the village will be stronger. This home is sort of like the village in that many people work here, and we will all need to work together if we're going to make it a home."

Emma beamed with pride at Running Buck's, or more rightly, Little Sparrow's words. "That's good," she said, a bright smile on her face. "I'm glad you think of it that way. I'm hoping that we can all create a home here."

Jimmy smiled and took Little Sparrow's hand under the table. For each day that went by he grew to know Little Sparrow better and better and he was glad the two had met, even though he wished that it had been under better circumstances. He didn't much like being held capture in the village.


	22. Chapter 22

The Pony Express had been active for one month now and everybody at the station in Sweetwater had settled in nicely. Now, evening was about to fall and Teaspoon had gathered everybody in the bunkhouse. All eyes were on him, wondering what he was going to say, With Teaspoon being the only one standing, he looked taller than everybody else in the room.

Running Buck looked up at Teaspoon, he could hardly imagine that one month had passed and that he had actually managed to settle in here. Even though he missed Rebecca every moment of the day and every second of each night, he had managed to get to the point where he knew that he was safe at the station. At first things had been difficult for him because he knew that he was different from the other riders; he came from a different place and he had a different culture. When things had gotten hard to handle, he had been able to talk with Little Sparrow, and the two shared the fact that they were different from the others.

Cody had been the one to ask a lot of questions about the village where he had grown up and what life among the Indians had been like. Running Buck wasn't sure he could understand why Cody asked so many questions because he felt very much in agreement with what Jimmy had told everybody one of the first nights there were at the station; 'they were all humans'. Yet, the more Running Buck thought about Cody and all the questions he would ask, the more right it felt to answer all those questions in a truthful manner.

If there was ever to be some sort of peace between his people and the whites, then they needed to learn about each other and the different ways of life.

Teaspoon voice was loud and clear and as the older man began to talk, Running Buck knew that was he was about to say was important. "As you all probably know there will be a dance in town one week from now." There was a secretive smile on his face, but Running Buck could also sense a bit of slyness to it as well. "Over the last month you've all worked hard and you've done me as well as yourself proud. Therefore I thought that you might want to enjoy an evening off and go to the dance in town to have a little fun. Who knows, you might even find a special someone." He winked at that.

Listening to Teaspoon speak, Running Buck felt his heart fall into the pit of his stomach. Go to the dance and find a special someone… He tasted the words on his lips, closed his eyes and thought about Rebecca. It had been so long since he'd seen her and he longed to hold her close and to feel her breath on his neck. He longed to wake up in the morning and have here there next to him. He longed for the quiet moments the two spent together in the evenings before it was time to go to sleep. He longed to make love to her.

"I want you all to be there in your Sunday best," Teaspoon finished his little speech.

"Um," started Running Buck, unsure how he was going to word himself. He didn't know what he was going to do because he didn't want to hurt Teaspoon. "Do we have to go to the dance?" he asked, his voice so low that it was hard to hear it. He didn't have to wait for his boss to answer as the look Teaspoon's face spoke clearly enough. Rising from his seat, Running Buck hurried out the door.

Emma hurried to follow him outside and she saw Running Buck hurrying into the barn. With determined steps she followed him inside. "Running Buck," she called in a soft voice, but there was no answer. Climbing up onto the loft, she could see him sitting on the floor with his back against a bale of hay. "Hey Sweetie," she said in a soft voice. "Is it alright if I sit down next to you?" She thought it was best to ask so that he wouldn't be frightened of her. She didn't want to scare him so that he wouldn't talk about what had just happened in the bunkhouse. Running Buck looked up at her and nodded.

"I'm sure that you don't have to go to the dance in town if you don't want to," she said in a careful voice as she laid one hand on his shoulder.

"I don't want to meet a special someone because I already have one," said Running Buck as he leaned into her soft touch. He wasn't sure why he felt so comfortable telling Emma these things. He just knew that it would be easy to talk to her. Emma would listen to him. "Her name is Rebecca and for the last couple of months I've been searching for her. She's … she's missing."

"She was your wife in the village," said Emma in a soft voice.

"How did you know?" asked Running Buck and looked up at her with wonder in his eyes.

"The only other people who know are Jimmy, Teaspoon and Ike."

"Teaspoon told me a little bit about what happened," answered Emma. "But I would like to hear it from you. Sometimes, sometimes it can do a body good to talk about things. Get them off of one's chest."

Running Buck nodded in agreement with that. After he had told Ike about what had happened between him and Rebecca he remembered it feeling like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders because he knew that he was no longer alone in the search for the woman he loved. Using the sleeve of his shirt, Running Buck wiped at his eyes and chewed on his lips. "I would like to tell you," he said weighing his words carefully. "But I don't think that I can tell you right now."

"Oh…" The word escaped Emma's lips.

"Will, you come back with me to the bunkhouse. I think I have something that I need to tell everybody. We're a family now," said Running Buck with a small smile on his face.

The road from the barn to the bunkhouse had never seemed longer to Running Buck than what it was now. He walked slowly, he knew that, but his steps were determined. As he walked he had to wonder why he hadn't told any of the other riders except for Ike about Rebecca and that he was searching for her. For some reason it just felt too personal to ask them such a favor. They had hardly even known each other for a month. Opening the door, Running Buck stopped to think. Would the others be mad at him for not telling them about why he was working for the Pony Express for now?

"It will be alright," said Emma and gave the small of his back a little push to encourage him to face the music. As he stepped into the room, he could feel all eyes on him and he swallowed hard. He could see that they were worried about him and he knew that was on account of him running out of the room just moments earlier. He and Emma shared a look. "I think that Running Buck have something that he wants to share with the rest of you." She said in a soft voice.

Running Buck nodded and took a deep breath to gather all the strength he could get. He knew that he would need it if he was going to perform the Herculean task of telling his friends – his family about loosing the love of his life. All eyes were on him and he knew that they were just waiting for him to start. He could see Little Sparrow giving him an encouraging smile, which put his mind at ease.

"There is a reason why I ran out of the bunkhouse a few moments ago," started Running Buck, unsure where he was going to continue; where he was going to start in the tale of him and Rebecca and the love that the two shared. "I don't think that I can go to the dance in town because I already have a special someone."

"That's all the more reason to go to the dance," said Cody in an exciting voice, not understanding Running Buck. "She must be drop-dead gorgeous if you've kept her from us." "I guess that's one way to look at it," said Running Buck with a small smile on his lips. He liked Cody because he always had the ability to immediately see the positive in a situation.

"What I'm trying to say is that I have a wife, but that I can't go to the dance with her because she has been missing ever since the village had been attacked by the white man's soldiers. On every run I've been looking for her, but I haven't been able to find her. At least not yet." He paused. "I won't give up until I have found her."

Running Buck looked out at the room and he expected people to be angry about not having told them sooner, instead he could only see worry in their eyes.

"What does she look like?" Lou asked.

"She's a little shorter than me," started Running Buck and closed his eyes so that he could see her in his minds eye. "She has the softest red hair and the prettiest smile." A smile came to his own lips as he spoke about his beloved Rebecca. "She's pregnant. She told me before the village was attacked." He opened his eyes and looked down on his hands as he said the last thing. He had to admit to himself that there was a small chance he might never see his daughter – for his mother had told him that it would be a girl.

"Then we will help you look for her," said Lou, speaking for all of them.

Teaspoon stood at the back of the room, and looked on at the family that had been created from working together.


	23. Chapter 23

Running Buck had been allowed to stay behind at the station on the night of the dance. Everybody was in complete understanding why he didn't felt like going. He had explained that the reason why he was staying behind was that he wanted to practice his reading, a skill Emma had helped him with. They all nodded in understanding. They knew that the real reason was Rebecca, but nobody said anything of which Running Buck was glad. It felt good to have told them about her and a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders, but at the same time he didn't like to talk about Rebecca he wanted to keep the memories to himself.

He didn't want to forget.

After everybody had left, Running Buck pulled the trunk he had been given to store his things on the first day that he started working for the Pony Express. Each of the riders had been given one of these trunks to store their things in. At the very bottom of his trunk, Running Buck kept the white blanket he and Rebecca shared. He laid it out on his bed and smiled as he thought about the memories the two had created on that blanket. Lifting it to his face he could still smell her scent on it and closing his eyes, Running Buck could hear the sounds of the village around him. It was like being home again.

Meanwhile, in town, the mood was less prone to melancholy

The band had started to play their first song and Jimmy was a little unsure about whether or not he was going to ask Little Sparrow to dance. He wanted to; more than anything he wanted to dance with Little Sparrow, but he also knew that he wasn't a very good dancer and he wanted to make a good impression on her. This was her very first dance and the romantic in him wanted her to have the greatest time in the world.

"Um…" he started as to took Little Sparrow's hands in his own and turned so that they were looking at each other. "Would you like to dance?" he asked in a soft voice.

"I'd like that," smiled Little Sparrow. She hoped that tonight would be special. She wanted it to be special, both for herself and for Jimmy. She had borrowed one of Emma's dresses. It needed to be taken in a little bit, and Emma had helped her with that as well. She wanted to look pretty for Jimmy. Emma had even helped her with doing her hair into curls. Before they had left for town, Little Sparrow had looked at her reflection in the mirror as she thought that she looked different, but it was a good different.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Jimmy as he led her out on the dance floor. A big part of him wanted to reach out to touch her cheek – to feel the soft skin under his fingers, but he knew that wouldn't be proper in town in the middle of a big crowd.

"Getting ready for this dance," answered Little Sparrow and looked out at the decorated town hall. "Everything is so different here than in the village," she mused as Jimmy set the pace for the dance.

"Yeah, I guess," said Jimmy. He hadn't spent much time in the village himself, and for the better part of that time, he had been tied up in the prison. "Do you like it here?" He didn't want the question to come out as harsh as it sounded, but a part of him always feared that Little Sparrow didn't like it in the white world. He knew that there had been some snide comments about her made by the townspeople and he also knew that Little Sparrow had heard them.

"Yes, I like it here. It is different from the village. The people are different and chores are done in a different way. It is difficult to learn, but I'm learning." Little Sparrow smiled up at his worried face. "Don't worry," she said in a soft voice. "I won't leave you. I like you and I think you're handsome."

A small blush came to his cheeks at her compliment. "I like you too, and I think you're really pretty."

As the song ended, Jimmy led her off of the dance floor and asked Little Sparrow if she wanted some punch. She had never tasted punch before and she enjoyed the sweet liquid.

"How is this made?" asked Little Sparrow.

"I don't know," said Jimmy. "But I think Emma might. You can ask her tomorrow."

Jimmy felt that there was a sudden silence between the two of them. He wasn't sure what he was going to say. All he knew was that he was at a dance with the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. He played with the glass in his hands and looked down at the swirling red liquid.

"Are you alright?" asked Little Sparrow in a concerned voice and placed a hand on his arm.

"You look worried." She looked up at his face, the worry evident in her own face.

Jimmy shook his head. "No," he said. "I'm just thinking about how lucky I am to have found you." A bright smile came to his lips. "You know, I'm here with the most beautiful woman in town." He laid one work-hardened hand over her cheek and placed a light kiss on her lips.

Little Sparrow closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Jimmy's lips on her own. Being with Jimmy felt so natural, and she counted herself lucky that he and Teaspoon had ridden onto Kiowa land that day. Otherwise they might never have met.

"Um," said Jimmy as the kiss ended. "It's getting warm in here. Would you like some air?" Jimmy could feel that he was starting to get a little bit uneasy, and he didn't know why that was. He had always felt so comfortable around women before, but something was different about Little Sparrow. There was something about her which he couldn't explain to himself. There was something about the way she made him feel inside; she could make his legs weak and his heart beat all over the place.

"I would like some air," replied Little Sparrow and put the glass with the punch down on the table. The band started to play their second song of the evening, but she wasn't bothered by that. She had lost count of all the times she had stepped on Jimmy's toes so she wasn't the best dancer. Dances in the white world were so different from what they were in the village. Even though she wasn't very good at them, dances in the white world Little Sparrow found more intimate and when she was on the floor with Jimmy just moments earlier, she felt as though the only two people in the world were her and Jimmy.

Walking outside, Little Sparrow kept close to Jimmy and rested her head on his shoulder. Looking up at the evening sky, Little Sparrow found it wonderful that wherever she went, the sky was always the same. The stars would guide the day for lost travelers and they would find their way home to their families and friends.

"It's a beautiful night," said Jimmy as he held Little Sparrow close. "It's more beautiful now that I'm spending it with you…" He let the words drift off into the night as he realized the truth behind his words. Jimmy stopped walking and turned so that the two were standing directly opposite each other. Little Sparrow looked up at him, momentarily worried that something was wrong, but the love and caring in Jimmy's eyes put her mind at ease.

"Little Sparrow," said Jimmy in a soft voice. "I love you."

"I … I…" No man had ever told her that he loved her before and Little Sparrow was sure she was blushing from the top of her head to the tip of her toes.

"Did I say something wrong?" asked Jimmy, worrying his lower lip with his teeth. Little Sparrow shook her head.

"No," she said and took a step closer to Jimmy. "I love you too. I never thought that I would meet a man like you, but here you are, standing right in front of me."

Jimmy closed the distance between them and lowered his face so that his lips could meet hers. He praised his lucky star that she had met Little Sparrow and fallen in love with her. Little Sparrow was the most special lady he had ever met. She was strong, and Jimmy found it amazing that she had learned the English language so quickly. Her accent was like nothing he had ever heard before, and Jimmy found himself wishing that he could listen to her speak every moment of the day. Her voice was soft and full of care for the people around her, but Jimmy also knew that she was a powder keg when she got mad or there was something she was concerned about or angry with.

The kiss ended. "Why don't we find a place that's a little more private?" said Little Sparrow, her eyes twinkling.


	24. Chapter 24

The only thing that Rebecca looked forwards to in the prison was the Thursday when the nuns from a local nunnery came to visit. It was the only contact she had with the outside world. The people who worked at the prison allowed the nuns to visit with the prisoners so as to take care of their salvation. Rebecca wasn't sure if she was able to believe in anything considering the situation she was in; the only thing she knew for certain she could trust was herself. For the sake of her sanity, she pretended to believe. If it weren't for the nuns' visits she would probably go crazy.

Rebecca knew that she had fared better than a lot other women who were also imprisoned, and she knew that was due to her condition. It would be ungodly for her child to have to suffer for her sins. Rebecca looked up as the door to her cell was unlocked and opened.

"How are you today?" asked Sister Margaret as she sat down next to her.

"The same as always," answered Rebecca and looked from Sister Margaret to her ever growing stomach. "I'm worrying about this little one and what's going to happen to her when I'm not here any more." A small, tense smile came to her lips. "She's getting more active now. Time moves too quickly." Rebecca sniffled as Sister Margaret moved to wipe her tears away from her face.

"When the time comes I promise you that we will find a good home for your little one," Sister Margaret reassured her.

"Thank you," said Rebecca and placed her head on Sister Margaret's shoulder. Both of her hands were at her stomach, gently rubbing it. "It isn't fair that the little one should suffer for what is out of her control." Rebecca wanted to tell someone, Sister Margaret, what had happened and of how unfairly Indians were being treated. No one should have their home attacked in the way she had experienced. For that was just what the village was to her; her home. That was where Running Buck was and that was where she had planned to raise her child.

"Sister Margaret, thank you for coming here and sitting with me. You bring me great comfort." Rebecca knew that it wouldn't be long before it was Sister Margaret's time with her was up and the guard would open the door to her cell – she would be left alone again. Rebecca knew that she had about two more months left before it was her time to face the gallows. It hurt her deeply that she would never be able to see her daughter grow up, but she also knew that her life was a small price to pay in order to keep the Kiowa village safe from harm.

As the cell door was opened, Rebecca's eyes looked up as if wanting to catch a glimpse of what life would be like on the outside. She heard that a couple of the guards were talking and she could hardly believe the words she overheard; Teaspoon Hunter, the famed Texas Ranger was now running the Pony Express in Sweetwater.

The little grey cells inside her head began to churn. If what she had overheard was correct, then that would mean that he, and hopefully Jimmy as well, had escaped and had made it back to the white world.

xXx

"Teaspoon, there's a letter here for you," called Cody as he stepped down from his horse coming home from a run. He wiped the sweat from his brow and handed the letter he had kept in his pocket to Teaspoon. Ike took the horse and led her towards the barn. "Someone you know?" Cody asked with great curiosity.

"Well," said Teaspoon, drawing the word out, "if you would give me some elbow space and provide me with the chance to actually read the letter, then perhaps I might be able to tell you." The blonde man's curiosity knew no bounds and continuously seemed to amaze Teaspoon. Taking a few steps back, Teaspoon opened the envelope and his eyes skimmed through the letter. "BUCK!" he called at the top his lungs, not just drawing the attention of Buck, but also the rest of the residents at the Pony Express station.

"Is something wrong?" asked Running Buck, walking out of the barn. He had never in the time he had known Teaspoon heard him raise his voice like he was doing right now and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know what was going on.

"We need to talk in private, right now," said Teaspoon, trying his best to keep his voice calm and steady.

Running Buck was pretty sure that he hadn't done anything that would cause Teaspoon to raise his voice like he was now. "Alright," said Running Buck. "I don't think there's anyone in the bunkhouse right now." Jimmy and Little Sparrow had snuck off to be alone together and everyone else was doing chores. Walking to the bunkhouse, Running Buck feared what Teaspoon had to say.

Sitting down on the bench, Running Buck kept his eyes fixed on his hands, which he kept folded on the table. "I'm sorry," he said in a soft, almost inaudible voice. "I don't know what I've done wrong."

"What makes you think that you've done anything wrong?" asked Teaspoon arching his brows.

"You wanted to speak with me in private," said Running Buck, looking up at his boss.

Teaspoon nodded. "I think you might want to read this," he said in a serious voice. Teaspoon pushed the letter across the table so that Running Buck would be able to read it. Emma had been helping him with his reading, but he had a hard time deciphering the handwriting on the paper. When he saw that Rebecca's name was mentioned several times, hope rose in his soul, but he didn't dare hope that Teaspoon had found her. It was for this exact reason Running Buck had been sure to learn how to spell his wife's name.

"It mentions Rebecca," he said in a careful voice, fearing that he would jinx the contents of the letter if he dared to speak out loud about what he hoped it might say. "But my reading isn't that good." In shame he chewed on his lower lip. "I'll read it to you then," said Teaspoon and took the paper back from Running Buck.

_Dear Teaspoon Hunter._

_I know you don't know me, but my name is Sister Margaret. I'm pretty sure that we have a common friend. Her name is Rebecca and she asked me to write to you on her behalf. She wishes to write to you herself, but at the moment, she finds herself in a dire situation and asked me to help her out._

_At the moment Rebecca is imprisoned at Fort McKenzie and is sentenced to hang, after her child has been born, for murder which was committed at her farm. She wishes that you would come visit her._

_Sincerely,_

_Sister Margaret._

"Does this mean that Rebecca is alive?" asked Running Buck. His entire body language showed the hope he was feeling. "Does this mean that we can go to this Fort McKenzie and get her? I'll be able to be with her again."

Teaspoon shook his head. "Son, I'm afraid that it won't be as easy as that." The older man took a deep breath for he knew in the pit of his stomach that there was no guarantee that they would be able to save Rebecca before it was too late and he didn't want Buck to get his hopes up.

"Why won't it be easy?" asked Running Buck, almost rising from his seat. "I want my wife back and you're saying I can't have her…" He looked at Teaspoon with disbelief in his eyes.

Again, Teaspoon shook his head. "That's not what I'm trying to say. What I'm trying to say is that there's a lot of things that have happened in the time that you and Rebecca have been apart and that it won't be so easy that we can just waltz into Fort McKenzie and go get her."The older man sighed. "We have to be prepared that this could very well be a very long and difficult road."

"But it said in the letter that she is sentenced to hang," said Running Buck. He knew that Teaspoon was a wise man, but he was impatient to go get his wife back. He needed to see her in order to make sure that she was safe. He didn't know how many more lonely nights he would be able to handle without going stir crazy. "We must hurry before it's too late."

"That we agree on," said Teaspoon, a small smile lurking at his lips. He appreciated Running Buck's eagerness to go to Fort McKenzie, but he knew that eagerness alone wouldn't get Rebecca safe. "But we need to plan what we're going to do very carefully," he continued. "One step in the wrong direction and it would cause harm to Rebecca."

Running Buck agreed to that. "Perhaps we should tell the others," he suggested. "The more we work together the better chances we have at getting Rebecca out of prison."

"I think that's a good idea," said Teaspoon as he rose to get the others. He knew that they would be just outside the door, wondering what was going on. "You can come in now," he said as he stepped aside to let the other riders in the door.

"What's going on?" asked Emma in a concerned voice as she sat down next to Running Buck. It was obvious to her that he was distressed about something, but she couldn't tell what. She was sure that it might have something to do with the letter Cody and brought Teaspoon earlier in the day. "Buck, are you alright?" she asked in a soft voice as she put her hands on his shoulders. The young man didn't look at her, but simply nodded.

"What's going on?" asked Kid as he had a feeling that the tension in the room could be cut with a knife. All he had heard was that Teaspoon had received a letter and that he had been given by Cody after he had gotten back from his run.

"Buck, would you like to tell them?" asked Teaspoon, wanting to be sure that he weren't stepping over an invisible line with Buck as he knew that speaking of Rebecca was a sore subject for him. The younger man's eyes rose from where had kept them transfixed on the table to Teaspoon and then back down at the table again. Finally he shook his head. "Will you do it, please? I'm not sure if I've gathered my thoughts enough to explain it yet."

"Alright," said Teaspoon and rose from his seat at the head of the table. He looked out at his employees and realized that what had initially been a mismatched group of people had been turned into a family of sorts. Not a family in the traditional sense, but a family just the same. "Everybody," he said in an athorative voice. "Today I received a letter from a nun who lives near Fort McKenzie."

"That's three days from here," said Cody. "Do you know that nun?"

"No," said Teaspoon and shook his head. "I've never had the pleasure to meet Sister Margaret, but it seems that we have some common friends. As you all know, Buck here has been searching for his lady love for quite some time and you have all agreed to help him in that search." Everybody in the room nodded. "It seems now that we weren't the ones who found her, but rather she was the one who found us."

A murmur went through the room, which Teaspoon and Emma did their best to calm down. "Is she alright?" asked Kid. "I mean, since she wasn't writing to you herself." He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth as he looked at Buck who seemed to be getting smaller and smaller where he sat.

Teaspoon shook his head. "As I told Buck before I gathered you all here. She is in prison and sentenced to hang for committing murder of the first degree."

"Me and my brother did those, to protect Rebecca," mumbled Running Buck, looking down at his hands. Closing his eyes, he realized that Rebecca must have allowed herself to take the blame for those deaths so that trouble wouldn't come to the village. Swallowing hard, he had to admire Rebecca for her courage and willingness to protect the village – their home. He loved her more now than ever before. Not many people would be as selfless as Rebecca.

Swallowing hard, yet again, Running Buck looked up and out at the room. "What are we going to do now?" he asked in a careful voice. "Are we going to be able to get her out of prison."

"I hope so," said Teaspoon. "But we need to be careful. All of us do." He looked out at the room. "Even the tiniest step in the wrong direction can cause Rebecca's life to be out in danger. Later today I will go and talk to Sam to see if there's anything he can do to help us out. I know you've all met him before and that he's a good man." Teaspoon wanted to say so much more, but he knew that he would be wise to keep his tongue so that Running Buck wouldn't get his hope up too much. There was still a chance that they wouldn't make it and he wanted Running Buck to be prepared for that.

"In the meantime," said Emma as she put one hand on Running Buck's shoulder. "I want you to think of a way that may help Rebecca. It is important now, more than ever, that we stick together and work together like one team. I want you all to keep that in mind."

Every head in the room nodded, even though none of them spoke a word. Neither of them noticed Kid and Lou holding hands under the table. The two squeezed the other one's hand tightly and swallowed hard.

"Excuse me," said Lou as he let go of Kid's hand and walked out the door.

"Excuse me too," said Kid as he followed her out.

Everybody looked after the two, but nobody made a move to follow them. They all knew that ever since the opening of the express Kid and Lou had been especially close and their friendship had been special. The silence in the room was deafening, and it was only broken by Jimmy and Little Sparrow walking hand in hand into the bunkhouse.

"What's going on?" asked Jimmy. "What's with all the long faces?"


	25. Chapter 25

After Teaspoon had gone into town to talk to Sam Cain about the possibilities of him helping to solve the problem of getting Rebecca out of prison and into safety before it was too late, silence continued to be deafening. Running Buck sat on the porch swing and clutched his medicine pouch in his hand so tightly that his knuckles turned white. In that very pouch he kept a lock of Rebecca's fiery red hair. It was good medicine and it kept him strong. Now, he needed that strength more than ever. He needed to be strong for Rebecca's sake.

He had drawn his legs up to his chest and had his eyes closed tightly. He tried to imagine himself in Rebecca's place. He wondered what it would be like for her in the cell of a jail. What she felt and what she thought about the situation. Running Buck chided himself that he didn't know more about the way things worked in the white world; perhaps then he would be able to help find a solution for how to get her out of jail.

"Is it alright if I sit down?" said Emma and Buck looked up at her. He had been so lost in his own little world that he hadn't noticed that she had come up to him. He nodded and Emma sat down next to him and handed the young man a cup of tea. "You need something to warm you up," she said in a caring voice, making Buck think of times long gone when he had been back in the village before he had met Rebecca.

"Thank you," said Buck and accepted the cup. He was glad he worked for the Pony Express in Sweetwater for he really liked Emma. There was just something about her which made him feel safe and made the Pony Express station feel like a home. The only thing that was missing was Rebecca.

"Are you alright?" asked Emma in a careful voice.

"I think so … I don't know," said Buck after a short pause. "I always hoped that we would find Rebecca. Well, she found us, is more like it. Teaspoon told me that there is a chance that we might not find a way to get her out of that prison before it's too late. I just wish that there was something I could do to help her – to let her know that I'm trying my best to find her."

He sighed and looked into the cup of tea. The darkish liquid swirled around in the cup as he moved it.

"I think she knows," said Emma. "From what little I know about her, she's a strong woman." Buck smiled and nodded. "Yes, she is. She's the strongest woman I know. I was the one who committed the murders on her property that day. Me and my brother. We did it to protect her. Those men wanted to do her harm. I should be the one in that prison, not her. Rebecca has never harmed a fly. Isn't that what the expression is?"

Emma nodded. "Yes, that's it." She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. She wanted to say something to comfort the young man beside her, but she didn't know what that thing would be.

"Emma, when … if we are able to get Rebecca out of that place, what will happen then?" asked Buck as he looked up at Emma. "Can she stay here?"

"Of course she can," said Emma. "There's always room for family at this place.

xXx

After having been told the news that Rebecca had been able to find and reach them. Jimmy and Little Sparrow sat down on his bunk. Little Sparrow rested her head on Jimmy's shoulder and sighed.

"I hope we are able to get Rebecca out of that…" she searched for the right word.

"Prison," helped Jimmy and she nodded. He moved his arms around her shoulders and held her close. Placing a light kiss on the top of her head, Jimmy thought that he was lucky to have found Little Sparrow when he did and that the two were able to see each other every day. In that sense they were luckier than Buck and Rebecca who were three days apart.

Jimmy bit his lip and gathered the strength to do what he had thought of for some time. He wasn't sure what words he was going to use. He didn't know if he would ever be able to find the right words. There was something special about Little Sparrow, something that he couldn't explain or put into words. There had always been something special between them and ever since they had snuck away that night from the dance, Jimmy hadn't been able to get her out of his head.

"Jimmy, are you alright?" asked Little Sparrow as she reached up to touch his cheek.

"Yeah, I am," answered Jimmy. "I was just thinking that I don't want to live without you." He reached up to his face to her hand in his and gave it a little squeeze. "Little Sparrow … would you be my wife."

"I'd love to," said Little Sparrow, a bright smile coming to her lips. She reached her arms around his neck she placed a light kiss on his lips. Jimmy moved his arms around her and held her close to himself. They knew that they would have to face many challenges, but they knew that they would face them together. Little Sparrow and Jimmy knew that they would hold hands, making the journey together.

It was at that moment Kid and Lou came in the door with Teaspoon, Sam, Buck and Emma following close behind. Emma let out a big sigh as she overlooked what was going on inside the room; Jimmy and Little Sparrow sitting on his bed smooching, while Cody kept himself busy with a book. "Would you all gather around the table please, Kid and Lou have something which they would like to share with the rest of us."

They all did as Emma asked, all except for Jimmy and Little Sparrow who seemed to be lost in their own little world. "Hey, you two," said Emma, raising her voice. "Come to the table."

That seemed to do the trick as the young couple broke apart, a bright redness coming to their cheeks. "Hey Emma, I didn't notice you were there."

"I'm sure you didn't," said Emma with a shake of the head and herded the two to the table which was placed in the middle of the room. "Kid and Lou have an idea which might help Rebecca."

As the whole gang was gathered around the table, Kid and Lou were the only ones standing. Lou swallowed hard and looked down at her feet. She hoped that she didn't look as nervous as she felt.

"Guys," she said in a soft, almost inaudible voice. "I have something that I have to say. A confession, really." She bit her bottom lip and looked at Kid, silently asking for support. "Living and working here, I haven't been honest, not with any of you. I'm not who you think I am. I'm not a guy, I'm a girl." She didn't dare look at any of them. She didn't know where she was going to fix her eyes.

"You're a girl," sputtered Cody, giving Lou an extra good look. She could feel his scrutinizing eyes and they made her a little bit apprehensive. "Sure fooled me."

"You said that you and Kid may have an idea about how to get Rebecca out of prison," Teaspoon cut it, wanting to get to the point as every minute was valuable. He would have to talk to Lou about the new revelations later. Right now they had more important things at hand.

"Yes," said Lou, her confidence growing. "Sort of." She paused to gather herself, looked from Teaspoon to Buck, who in turn looked at him with a mix of worry and expectation in his eyes.

"Buck, we can't guarantee that we will be able to get Rebecca out, but what Kid and I thought of may enable us to get your baby out."

"How?" asked Buck, not sure what Kid and Lou were thinking about.

"Seeing as I'm a girl, we figured that Kid and I could pretend that we're married and looking to adopt a baby. If all goes well, we will be able to get your baby out of prison and make sure that you're able to stay together."

At first, Buck wanted them to be able to get both Rebecca and the baby out of prison and safe in his arms once again, but then he realized that he needed to be realistic about it. If they were able to get the baby out first, then Rebecca would know that this Sister Margaret had been able to her message to them and that they were working on getting her out as well. Hopefully, that would bring her some comfort. "I think that might work, Lou," he said, his voice revealing his growing confidence. He didn't know where he would be today if it weren't for his new found friends.

"I think it's good that we're all working together on this," said Teaspoon. "If we're going to get any headway on Rebecca's case, we need to be one team." The whole room agreed to that with a combination of saying yes and nodding their heads.

Sam took a deep breath, knowing that he should be the next to say something. When Teaspoon had come to see him in town, he had been surprised to hear what had happened to Buck, but once the surprise had settled he knew that helping Buck and his wife Rebecca would be easier said than done.

"Buck," he started to say, but then stopped. He had no idea how he was going to break the news to the young man. "I know that we're all here to help you, but there is one thing. From what little I know of Rebecca's case, the only way we will be able to get her out is by breaking the law." Buck swallowed at Sam's words. "So you're not going to help me?"

"No," said Sam, shaking his head as though to further prove his point. "What I'm trying to say is that it would be difficult to find a loophole so that we will be able to get her out before it's too…" Sam knew that he had said too much. He didn't feel that he should speak about the possibility that his wife may be dead soon.

"Late…" Buck finished for her. "What if I confessed to killing those men?" he asked, looking up at Sam, their eyes meeting.

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked in reply.

"It was I who really did it," said Buck as he rose from his seat, took a deep breath and gathered all the courage he could muster. "I killed those men to protect Rebecca, I should be the one to hang, not her. Rebecca is the kindest and most generous person I've ever met, and I would gladly give me life so that she's safe. She would be able to be with her child. The world needs more people like her."

Up until now, Buck had done his best to be strong, but found that he could no longer and tears started to make their way down his cheeks.

"I'll give my life so that she will be safe," he stated, just to make sure that he understood what he himself were saying, as well as getting the point across.

"Buck," said Emma and placed a hand on his shoulder. She swallowed hard and wiped the tears from his eyes. "I know that you love Rebecca very much and that you would do anything for her, but…" She looked at Sam, hoping that the Marshal would have a solution to their predicament at the back of his mind.

"But let's not get ahead of ourselves," Sam finished for her. I think that the first thing we need to do is to go to this Fort McKenzie and see what it is exactly that's going on. I don't think that it's a good idea to lay too many plans before we have all the facts on the table." He turned to look at Kid and Lou. "In light of what we have just learned, I think that it may be wise that you two execute your plan after I have checked things out and talked to the officer in charge of the fort. Both Kid and Lou nodded at that, their hands reaching out to hold the other.

"We won't rest until Rebecca is safe with you once again, Running Buck," Little Sparrow said in her native tongue.

"Thank you," Buck replied. "You're a good friend." He turned to look at Teaspoon. "What do we do now?" he asked the older man. "I want to go to Fort McKenzie, I want to see my wife, my Rebecca."


	26. Chapter 26

Rebecca held her hands to the small of her back as she walked around in her one-room cell. At the moment, walking around like she was right now, was the only thing that kept her sane. The baby was getting more and more active – pushing at her ribs and at the small of her back.

Her face snapped up as she heard someone outside the door. She wasn't expecting anyone and Sister Margaret wouldn't visit with her for another couple of days. Sitting down on her small bunk as the door opened, none other than Sister Margaret entered the small and murky cell together with two other people which Rebecca had never seen before.

"Sister Margaret?" asked Rebecca as she held her hands to her ever-growing belly. "Is something wrong?" There was a look of uncertainty on her face.

Sister Margaret shook her head and had a small smile on her face; a smile which Rebecca weren't able to read. "I think I may have found parents for your little one," said Sister Margaret as she motioned towards the two people standing next to her.

Rebecca for the first time since the three people had entered what was now her home really looked at the man and the woman who had arrived with Sister Margaret. She thought that the woman looked beautiful and that she had a pretty smile. The man stood next to her, nervously holding her hand. Rebecca swallowed hard as she wasn't sure if she wanted the young couple in front of her to adopt her and Running Buck's baby. Before now she hadn't thought that she would have a choice in who were to adopt her daughter. Now that the young couple stood in front of her she wasn't sure what to think of them.

"Would you be willing to give my baby a good home?" asked Rebecca in a wary voice.

"Is it alright if I sit down?" asked the woman and Rebecca nodded. "We're friends of Running Buck," she said in a low voice in case any of the guards were listening in on their conversation. "We got the message that you sent to Teaspoon."

"You did?" asked Rebecca, as her hand flew to her mouth in surprise. "Running Buck survived the attack on the village?"

Louise nodded. "He's missed you a lot and he's looking forward to seeing you again."

"He's here?" asked Rebecca as she looked around the small room as though her husband would appear out of thin air.

"Yes," said Kid. "He really wanted to come see you today, but he didn't think that the soldiers would like that he's Indian, and he that they might get suspicious." He paused to take a breath. "He said to tell you that he really misses you, and that he loves you very much."

"Tell him that I love him too," said Rebecca in a small voice despite the fact that her confidence was growing. She shook her head. "I can't believe this."

"We can't really make any certain promises, but know that we're working on it."

"I understand," said Rebecca. "I've been worried about what's going to happen to my little girl when I'm no longer here. Whatever happens, this little one will be able to grow up with his father." She finished the last sentence with a small smile on her face.

"I think it's best that we go now," said Sister Margaret, an unreadable expression on her face. The older woman was glad that she had been able to get a message through to Teaspoon. Every day she had been waiting, hoping for a reply. She had been surprised when a whole group of people, including Running Buck had showed up at the nunnery.

"Yes," said Rebecca, a shadow falling over her face. "Will you be able to come back?" she asked in a small voice. "We'll try our best," said Louise as she gave the red-haired woman a hug. She really felt for the young woman sitting next to her and she wanted to make it better for her. Louise knew that she wouldn't be able to do it alone. It would take the whole gang if they were going to better Rebecca's situation.

xXx

Back at the nunnery, Teaspoon, Sam, Buck, Kid and Lou sat around an oak table together with Sister Margaret. Buck look like he carried the burden of a thousand men on his shoulders. His eyes were fixed on the table. He hated the fact that he wasn't able to go see Rebecca, but Kid and Lou could just waltz into the prison like there was nothing to it. Lou had told him that under the circumstances she was fine, but Buck wanted to see it with his own eyes. It wasn't that he didn't trust Lou, it was just that the months he had spent away from Rebecca had been horrible, despite the fact that he had found new friends who cared about him and who supported him in his search for Rebecca.

"Are you alright?" asked Lou in a small voice and Buck shook his head. She took a deep breath and weren't sure what she was going to do. She wanted to do something more to help Buck and Rebecca get back together, but she knew that she was just one person and there were limitations to what she could do on her own. Holding on to Kid's hand under the table she gave it a firm squeeze.

"Sam is there's someone you can talk to?" Kid looked from Lou to Sam. "Someone who's able to prove that Rebecca is innocent."

"I'll take her place," said Buck, he too looking at Sam who was sitting across the table from her. "I've already admitted to have done it."

"Buck, don't talk like that," admonished Teaspoon. "We'll find a way to get you both together." He took a deep breath and looked at the young man. Teaspoon didn't know what he was going to do with Buck; the young man was willing to sacrifice his own freedom for that of Rebecca. Usually, that would be a trait he admired in a young man, but there had to be another way out of this way; a way for Buck and Rebecca to get back together.

"Do you really think so?" asked Buck in a small voice.

"I know so," said Teaspoon and Sam nodded in agreement

"I think I may have an idea," said Sam, "but it will be risky, and it will be bending the law in all sorts of ways, but if we have Lady Luck on our side it might work."

"And if it doesn't…?" asked Buck, already knowing the answer. If whatever Sam's idea was went wrong, then they would all be in trouble.


	27. Epilogue

Running Buck stepped out on the porch of the newly built log cabin in a clearing by the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The first time he had laid eyes on the beautiful woman with the bright red hair, this was not how he had imagined that his life would end up like. He had never in his wildest dreams imagined that it was even possible to live any other place than in the village. But Running Buck couldn't complain for he had just the life he wanted.

"It's a beautiful morning," Running Buck heard a voice behind him and Rebecca went to stand next to her husband. She drew in a deep breath. "There's just something about the air around here that makes it smell like freedom."

Freedom was something the young married couple had had an ambivalent relationship to. Ever since the village where they had spent the first days of their marriage had been attacked, Rebecca had been forcefully taken to the white world and put into prison for murders that she hadn't committed. She had spent months in that prison just waiting for the day her daughter would be born so that she could hang for crimes which she was completely innocent of.

It was due to Sam's ingenious idea to create new crimes that Rebecca had committed, forge court documents, and convince the prison guards that Rebecca would be put on trial in Sweetwater so that justice could be served.

Buck remembered the day he had finally seen Rebecca for the first time in many months, and he was able to touch her, hug her too him and assure himself that it was really her and not just a figment of his imagination. They had stood in the middle of the nunnery, just holding each other close. If they let go of each other, Buck thought that there was a chance that he would lose her again.

Shortly after they had gotten back to Sweetwater, Rebecca had given birth to a daughter who they had named Margaret after the kind lady whose actions had brought them back to each other. Little Margaret had won the heart of everyone at the station, but both Rebecca and Buck knew that they wouldn't be able to stay in Sweetwater forever. It just wouldn't be safe for them as soldiers from Fort McKenzie might pass through.

The day that they were to leave was a sad one for all as Buck knew that he would greatly miss his newfound family, but Rebecca and he had to move on. They had decided that they would go further west. Ike had said that he wanted to come with them, something Buck was happy for. He had come to care greatly for his silent friend.

Running Buck smiled and nodded. "That's because the air out here is freedom." He turned to look at her. "We are free here."

"This little one will grow up knowing what freedom is," smiled Rebecca. Sitting down on the porch swing Running Buck had made especially for her, she closed her eyes and smiled. After everything that had happened to her, she had a new appreciation for being outdoors, and if it weren't for her now one year old daughter, Margaret, she would sleep outside every night.


End file.
